femmenstein: (Default)
[personal profile] femmenstein
Nibble Nibble Gnaw (Candied apple, pancakes, sugared nuts, crushed candies, hot gusts of chocolate, cakes, pastries, sweet breads, sugar)

Preliminary notes: These next few aren't actually Weenies, but I didn't want to make a whole separate post for them. I've wanted to try this since I first discovered BPAL, but it was out of stock for a very long time until recently.

In bottle: Okay, so this has a lot of layers. I definitely get chocolate, pancakes, nuts, and a lot of baked good/pastry notes. If I try really hard, I can just make out the candied apple as well.

On skin: On skin, this is very different. The (green) apple comes out, but it smells baked instead of candied, almost smelling like a baked pear, which I think might be the chocolate mixing with the apple. I get a powdered sugar kind of note, and the baked goods and pastry notes are looming beneath that. The chocolate fades into a cocoa powder-esque note as well. The nuts smell roasted and almost caramelized. This is such a complex, multifaceted gourmand.

After a few minutes, a creamy vanilla permeates the scent (could be part of the cake/pastry notes). This is definitely a morpher, and I think that fits the theme of the scent really well. It's sweet and inviting but also a bit mysterious. I don't think I've ever worn a scent that morphs as much as this one does. Every time I sniff my wrist, I get something different.

Verdict: 4 ever-morphing, swirling clouds of candy and baked goods out of 5.


Halfling (Porridge, kukui nuts, pastry crumbs)

Preliminary notes: Another one that I wanted to try for years but was out of stock until recently. I love a good porridge scent.

In bottle: Delicious porridge with cream, honey, maybe a tiny bit of citrus, and a cream-stuffed pastry on the side. Decidedly hobbit-y and absolutely scrumptious. This makes me want to try other BPAL oat/porridge offerings.

On skin: A combination of B&BW's Warm Vanilla Sugar (my favorite B&BW scent) and Danish butter cookies, with a bit of almond. I don't get porridge outright, but it's very warm and dessert-y. This is probably one of the coziest BPAL scents I've smelled, and I love it. I'm not usually a fan of almond notes either, but it works really well here.

Verdict: 5 cozy almonds out of 5.


Bengal (Skin musk, honey, peppers, clove, cinnamon bark, ginger)

Preliminary notes: I received a free sample of this in one of my orders last year and loved it. It's about time I finally upsized it.

In bottle: Honeyed, woody cinnamon, skin musk, and a bit of heat from the peppers. Delicious.

On skin: The cinnamon bark note in this is absolutely beautiful. It's very dry and woody (shocking, I know). The honey, peppers, and skin musk are also all present and at the forefront, and the whole thing is very warm and spicy overall. If you're after something a bit risque and sexy in your cinnamon perfumes, this is your gal. Love this.

Verdict: 5 pieces of cinnamon bark dripping in honey out of 5.


Alisz (Spun sugar, frankincense, white rose, mallow root, red currant, vanilla mint)

Preliminary notes: After trying Psionicist, I've been kind of wanting something with a vanilla-y mint note, and this seemed like it would fit the bill. It was a close call between this and Lady Amalthea, but the latter sounded a bit too floral for what I'm looking for.

In bottle: The vanilla mint is at the forefront, followed by the spun sugar and maybe a bit of the mallow root. I don't get any of the other notes in the bottle, which I'm okay with.

On skin: The vanilla mint in this is beautiful. It's creamy and minty without smelling like toothpaste. The frankincense and currant come out a bit and give it a tiny bit of an earthy kick, but it's mostly about the vanilla mint. I don't smell the rose at all on the skin either, which is fine. This is a really pretty, sparkling wintry scent. It reminds me of fresh snowfall.

Verdict: 4.5 sparkling snowfalls out of 5.


Cats and Sparrows (Vanilla cream, tonka absolute, caramelized cedarwood, sepia-washed amber resinoid)

Preliminary notes: I somehow haven't tried any of the Felis Silvestris Catus scents as of writing this, but this sounds absolutely delightful.

In bottle: This smells golden-brown in the best way, and it's very cozy. I can't pick out any of the notes specifically, and there's a tiny bit of an almost fruity tinge in there.

On skin: The cedar takes center stage on the skin, mixed with the amber resinoid. The combination of the two very heavily reminds me of Alkemia's Ambre Extrait, which is one of my favorite woody scents. The vanilla is very subtle and reads to me as vanilla orchid as opposed to a gourmand vanilla, with the tonka being slightly stronger. I expected this to be all about the vanilla cream and amber, but having it be about the cedar and amber is definitely welcome. This is a dreamy, cozy, glowing woody scent with a tiny touch of sweetness.

Verdict: 4.75 glowing pieces of cedarwood out of 5.


Woman Putting On Her Stocking (Skin musk, silk, tonka, coffee bean, russet amber)

Preliminary notes: At the time of drafting this review (late October), I'd been craving a lot of cozy, my-skin-but-better kind of scents, and this sounded really nice.

In bottle: It's allll about the coffee bean and musk, which is a fantastic combination. It's sultry and beckoning.

On skin: Glorious warm, deep coffee bean, soft musk, and tonka. The coffee bean note in here is beautiful and doesn't give me the stewed tomatoes experience like a lot of coffee scents from BPAL have in the past. This is very sultry and cozy. There's something a tiny bit rubbery about this, but it's not offputting at all. If this was a color, it would be a rich, dark brown.

Verdict: 4 giant coffee beans out of 5.


Every Sweet Thing (Honey-dripping plakous, rose petals, caramelized hazelnut, goat's milk)

Preliminary notes: Ah, this scent. It had been on my wishlist for a long time, and I finally did something about it. The caramelized hazelnut is the biggest draw for me, but I like all of the other notes as well (aside from plakous, since that's not a note I've ever seen in other BPAL scents).

In bottle: An explosion of rose petals, followed by a bit of raw hazelnut.

On skin: What I'm assuming is the plakous comes out a lot more on the skin, and the rose takes a backseat. The hazelnut and goat's milk are more pronounced as well, with the latter reading more as heavy cream than a true goat's milk note. This scent overall is very rich and feels celebratory and antique. It's a beautiful warm, rosy flormand.

Verdict: 4.5 rosy desserts out of 5.


b>The Large Cat (Myrrh, sweet almond, spiced rum, brown sugar, honeyed dates, golden amber, scorched marshmallow, toasted vanilla musk)

Preliminary notes: This came up in the search results when I looked for "toasted" on BPAL's website, and it sounds really interesting. I love dates but haven't tried many scents with date notes.

In bottle: As someone who usually doesn't like almond notes, I'm surprised I went for this, and I'm even more surprised that I like it. The almond, rum, and dates are the strongest notes in the bottle.

On skin: Spicy, dry almonds and dates! It certainly does have a toasted quality to it, and it kind of reminds me of a bulk food store (in a good way). Something about it reminds me of Aladdin as well, weirdly enough.

Verdict: 4.5 spicy almond cats out of 5.


Cat Churning Butter (Butter, cream, a thump of frankincense)

Preliminary notes: I asked for this to be added to the order in lieu of a store credit for shipping overages.

In bottle: Shockingly, it smells like butter, cream, and frankincense. The cream has an almost toasted quality to it.

On skin: Mostly the same as in the bottle, though on my skin, it goes a bit soapy for a short while. After the soapiness goes away, it goes back to smelling toasted and almost resinous (which makes sense, given the frankincense). The soapy vibe comes and goes, and I'm really not a fan of that. Not sure how to feel about this one.

Verdict: 3 confusing cats out of 5.


KPX130 (prototype) (No notes given)

Preliminary notes: This was included as a frottle in my last order.

In bottle: Lemon, lemon, lemon, more lemon, and finally, lemongrass.

On skin: A blast of lemon hard candy, but with something green underneath. I'm not sure if it's grass or maybe green tea, but it's not straight lemon. There may be a tiny bit of a light musk in there as well. Ultimately, this is very refreshing and citrus-heavy, which will be nice during the warmer months. Its resemblance to lemon hard candies is unreal, so if that's your thing, tracking this down in a swap might be worthwhile.

Verdict: 4 giant-sized lemon hard candies out of 5.
femmenstein: (Default)
[personal profile] femmenstein
I had an issue with the first shipment of some of these getting sent back before they went through customs, which wasn't BPAL's fault, and then Canada Post went on strike in November, so these took longer to get here than I had anticipated. Then, I ended up moving a few days after the parcel finally showed up, so this post is very late. My apologies!

A little Halloween in early winter action never hurt anyone, so let's Nightmare Before Christmas this place up!

(Some of these aren't technically Weenies, but they either came out around the same time or otherwise fit the theme of Halloween/fall)

šŸ¬ Sweet Tooth (Scorched candy corn and melted toffees)

Preliminary notes: Honestly, if it wasn't for this scent, I probably would have bypassed the Weenies this year. I can't resist candy corn or toffee notes on their own, and I've never seen them together. The scorched aspect of this really interests me as well, so I'm curious as to whether this will just be a goopy sugarbomb, or if there'll be a bit of a smoky edge to it.

In bottle: Oh my goddd, this is SO toffee-heavy, which is exactly what I wanted from it. The candy corn melds into it as well, so it's very sweet and sugary. I get a tiiiny, tiny hint of smoke beneath that.

On skin: Be still my heart! This has the same toffee note as Drink Me, which is one of my very favorite BPAL scents. There's also something in here that reminds me of plastic witch noses from the 90s, and by that, I don't mean this smells like plastic (because it doesn't at all). The specific noses I'm thinking of had a sweet, almost fruity, almost melted candle wax smell, and I loved it.

This definitely has the same melted wax quality to it, and I love it. Sweet, melted wax and toffee with maybe a teeny tiny hint of a wispy smoke note, but it's barely there. I don't get anything scorched, but melty is definitely a good descriptor for this one. Delicious, melty, caramel-y goodness.

Verdict: 5 melty chunks of toffee out of 5.


šŸ‚ The Autumn Folk (Hay-dusted oak, honey mead, pumpkin rind, vetiver root, corn husk, maple leaves)

Preliminary notes: Corn husks always remind me of our local pumpkin patch, and the rest of the note lineup here kind of fits that theme as well. It sounds like a delightful, dry autumnal atmospheric.

In bottle: Oh, wow. Warm and cozy right off the bat, which I wasn't expecting for some reason. The mead, corn husk (such a beautiful note), and oak are the strongest notes. I smell something a bit buttery as well, which is probably the pumpkin. The vetiver isn't acrid at all.

On skin: This is quite pretty! The mead is reading as almost citrusy to me, and everything else melds with it so well. There's a butteriness from the pumpkin, an earthiness from the oak, vetiver, and corn husk, and a bit of sweetness from the maple leaves and mead. It's delightfully autumnal, and a sunnier scent than the description would have one believe. To me, this is an early autumn scent, and it encapsulates the imagery of sunlight peeking through branches in an orange and gold copse of trees. Love it.

Verdict: 5 golden autumn days out of 5.


šŸŽƒ Vintage Pumpkin Blow Mold (White musk, sweet orange, crystalline amber, pumpkin rind)

Preliminary notes: I bought Vintage Ghost Blow Mold last year and LOVED it, so this was kind of a no-brainer. I'm also a fan of sweet orange notes.

In bottle: Oh, this is pretty. Weirdly enough, it kind of reminds me of eggnog (or maybe white chocolate), but if it was flavored with orange (which sounds kind of gross, but I promise, it smells better than it would taste). I'm curious to see if the eggnog vibe translates onto the skin.

On skin: First off, I love the orange note in this and might have to keep an eye out for it in the future. The eggnog vibe that was in the bottle is completely gone on the skin. It's all about the orange and white musk, which go together beautifully. Something about this smells sparkling and upscale, like an elegant person in white furs standing underneath a crystal chandelier. It's gorgeous and refined. Despite the (spiced) pumpkin and orange, I wouldn't categorize this as a gourmand at all. Vintage Ghost Blow Mold is absolutely a milky gourmand, but Vintage Pumpkin Blow Mold is just a really pretty, citrusy mood scent.

Verdict: 4.75 glittering pumpkins out of 5.


šŸŽƒ Jolly (Pumpkin cream, caramel-coated marshmallow, crushed candy corn, lemon peel, belladonna honey)

Preliminary notes: Pumpkin, caramel, AND candy corn? Yes, please.

In bottle: Surprisingly biting/herbal in the bottle! Once again, there's something in here that reminds me of holiday foods, and I'm not sure what it is. I don't get the pumpkin outright, but I do get a very thick, caramelized cream note. This has a sinister edge to it as well, like being presented a picturesque dessert that's been poisoned.

On skin: This reminds me of something I've smelled before, but I have no idea what it is. Something in here is reading as slightly vegetal, and I'm not sure if it's the pumpkin cream or honey. It has an almost.. dare I say, aquatic or saline quality to it, and I have no idea where that's coming from. I definitely get all of the sweet candy goods, a tiny glimpse of the lemon peel, and the honey note, which is clear and thin. This is still very much an inviting but sinister scent, and I think that's a really fascinating dichotomy to be able to capture in scent format.

Verdict: 4 sinister desserts out of 5.


šŸŽƒ Pumpkin Sugar (Crystallized glittering shards of lightly spiced pumpkin sugar)

Preliminary notes: This was kind of a last minute addition to the order. It was a toss up between this and the Candied Apple single note, but I'm very picky about apple notes, so I figured this would be a safer bet.

In bottle: I mean, it's exactly what it says on the tin: pumpkin spices and sugar. There's something a bit dusty and a tiny bit vegetal in there as well, which I would wager is a pumpkin note.

On skin: Delicious, sweet pumpkin spice and sugar. There's a little bit of a buttery pumpkin note in there, but my skin amps cinnamon, so it's mostly cinnamon and sugar on me. Actually, this reminds me of Possets' Sticky Buns a bit, but this is less intense/syrupy. Pumpkin Sugar is linear but really pleasant, and it'd be perfect for layering with other scents that need a bit of a sweet, spicy kick, or with gourmands (layering this with a black tea scent would be delightful, I feel). This is a perfect seasonal transition scent between fall and winter, as the cinnamon gives it a bit of a holiday vibe.

Verdict: 4.5 sugar and spice mixtures out of 5.


šŸŽƒ Knave of Pumpkins (Crushed roses, red currant, pumpkin tarts)

Preliminary notes: I had a free sample of Knave of Hearts and really liked it, so a pumpkin variant of that caught my attention immediately. This has red currant, however, and Knave of Hearts has blackcurrant, so it'll be interesting to see how that compares.

In bottle: Knave of Hearts but sweeter, is basically what this is giving me. Once again, I don't get any pumpkin outright, but the tart note in this compared to OG Knave is very custard-y.

On skin: This is similar but also quite different to OG Knave. The use of red currant instead of blackcurrant really stands out, and it meshes with the rose note really well and gives the blend a more candylike, playful vibe. My boyfriend clocked the pumpkin tarts right away, but I couldn't smell them for a while. I smelled the pastry note from the tarts and something creamy/custard-y, but not the pumpkin itself until maybe 10-15 minutes into the drydown. The pumpkin is interwoven with the custard and is very subtle, at least to my nose. Either way, I like OG Knave a lot, but I think I like this even better. My boyfriend loves it too.

Verdict: 5 heart-shaped tarts dripping in red currant juice out of 5.


šŸŽƒ Dead Leaves, Burnt Marshmallows, Clove Cream, and Whiskey (Dead leaves, burnt marshmallows, clove cream, whiskey)

Preliminary notes: I've only tried two Dead Leaves blends prior (Dead Leaves on Fire and Dead Leaves, White Sandalwood, and White Moss), but I loved them both. I am a sucker for a good burnt/toasted marshmallow note, but I've never actually encountered a realistic one. I'm hoping it's realistic here. I also love clove and whiskey notes, so this one was a no-brainer.

In bottle: The first sniff of this was.. bizarre. I don't have words to describe it. After that, the Dead Leaves note is the strongest, followed by a gorgeous clove. This smells more "natural" and realistic than Dead Leaves on Fire to me.

On skin: The clove cream definitely packs a punch. You also get the classic, vegetal Dead Leaves note, a bit of the whiskey, and miraculously, the burnt marshmallow note makes an appearance as well (though the marshmallow smells toasted as opposed to truly charred).

The whole thing has a very toasty, almost holiday pudding vibe to it, which I think is great for the transitional period between fall and winter. I wasn't sure about this in the bottle, but on the skin, it's absolutely lovely. Spicy, toasty, and warm. This is very clove-heavy, so if you're not a fan of clove, definitely skip this one.

Verdict: 5 clove-y holiday puddings decorated with fall leaves out of 5.


šŸŽƒ Bourbon-Soaked Pumpkin Peanut Butter Fudge (Bourbon, pumpkin, peanut butter fudge)

Preliminary notes: I have a pumpkin and peanut butter candle that I burned off and on during the fall and loved it, so if this is even remotely similar, I'll be over the moon about it.

In bottle: Spiced bourbon and caramel, oddly enough. The peanut butter is very subtle.

On skin: This is quite strong upon initial application. There's a giant, cinnamon-spiced, boooozy bourbon cloud that blooms up from the skin. Underneath that, there's a tiny bit of a vegetal pumpkin, but it's mostly bourbon and spice. I don't get any peanut butter, and the sweetness of the fudge is fairly subtle. This is very rich and spicy, despite not being overly sweet. Huge sillage on this one.

Verdict: 4.25 spiced bourbons out of 5.


šŸŽƒ Pumpkin Bliss (Honey-dusted milk chocolate pumpkin bites)

Preliminary notes: The original Bliss, to me, smells like warm chocolate chips. As if you just took a pan of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies out of the oven, but there's no smell from the cookies themselves, and it's just the scent of baked chocolate. I'm curious as to how a pumpkin note is going to meld with that.

In bottle: This definitely has cinnamon in it, or at least that's how it smells in the bottle. I don't get much of the original Bliss DNA in this.

On skin: Honeyed cinnamon bark with a tiny bit of chocolate underneath. Whyyy, skin chemistry. That's quite disappointing. No baked chocolate, no cookie-like note, just sweet cinnamon. That's 100% a result of my skin amping it and not a fault with the scent itself, as I have this issue fairly often. I didn't expect this to have cinnamon in it at all, so that's a bummer. If I had known that, I would have just gotten a bottle of OG Bliss. Oh well.

Verdict: 2 cinnamon-scented disappointments out of 5. Again, not a fault of the scent itself, but a huge bummer.


šŸŽƒ Pumpkin Latte (Espresso, pumpkin syrup, smoky vanilla bean, milk, raw sugar, a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg)

Preliminary notes: As mentioned in other review posts, I can't drink coffee, but I sure do love the smell of it. I've never had a PSL, but this sounds divine.

In bottle: Yup, that smells like a spiced latte. I don't get any pumpkin outright, but the rest of the notes are there. When I first got this, it smelled like stewed tomatoes in the bottle, which is an experience I've had with coffee scents before, for whatever reason.

On skin: Oh look, our friends Stewed Tomatoes are back. I think it's the cinnamon mixing with something else that's causing that, but I'm not sure. I don't get any coffee or pumpkin, just spicy stewed, syrupy tomatoes. Not into it.

Verdict: 0 cans of stewed tomatoes out of 5. I offered this to Fox, and it smells much better on him, so take this review with a grain of salt. It just doesn't mesh well with my skin chemistry at all but smells lovely on other people.


šŸŽƒ Apple Cider Donuts (Apple cider, donuts)

Preliminary notes: As soon as I saw this in the Virtualcon announcement email, I knew I had to get it. I haven't had stellar luck with BPAL's pastry/baked good notes in the past (they tend to not be as full-bodied or realistic as I'd like), but this also includes apple cider. Even if the donut note isn't realistic, I'll still like it if the cider note is good.

In bottle: Well, this is slightly disappointing. No baked good notes to speak of at all, but a very nice apple note.

On skin: Ahhh, there it is. Rather than a donut though, I get an almost fritter-y note beneath the apple, and even then, it's still 95% apple. A tiny bit of spice as well, but not to the point where my skin is amping it, thankfully. The apple note in this is very fresh and almost cooling, which is my preferred kind of apple note.

As this wears, the fritter-like note becomes a bit stronger, but the apple is the star of the show. I definitely wouldn't call this a strong gourmand or baked good scent, but I also tend to be slightly disappointed with BPAL's gourmands in general. They aren't quite foody enough for me most of the time. Regardless, I do like this a lot, even though it's nowhere near smelling like a donut.

Verdict: 4.25 fresh apples out of 5.


šŸŽƒ Hot Buttered Apple Cider (Hot apple cider, melted buttery swirl)

Preliminary notes: Hot apple cider is one of my favorite things during the fall and winter, so this sounds perfect since we're quickly approaching colder weather as I'm writing this.

In bottle: Rather than apple cider and melted butter, I'd say this smells like apple cider buttercream. There's a very distinct frosting-like quality to this.

On skin: Still very much apple cider buttercream. I almost wonder if there was some sort of labeling issue and this is actually Apple Cider Donuts, but then a strong butter note comes out, and it's very clearly not mislabeled. This is like a hot apple dessert with a fat pat of butter on top and is decidedly more gourmand than Apple Cider Donuts. If you don't like butter, I'd recommend avoiding this, since the butter note is very realistic and rich. I love this.

Verdict: 5 pats of butter on a warm apple dessert out of 5.


šŸŽƒ Pumpkin Gingerbread Creme Brulee Pie (Scorched pumpkin creme brulee in a gingerbread crust)

Preliminary notes: This has been on my radar for quite some time now, and I figured I might as well get it with the other pumpkin scents I picked up. Not technically a fall/Halloween scent, but.

In bottle: More or less exactly what it says on the tin. The pumpkin note here is the most realistic one I've come across from BPAL, and it smells like straight up pumpkin puree.

On skin: This is delicious. Slightly overcooked pumpkin puree, spicy gingerbread, and a bit of thick cream. This is probably the most realistic gourmand I've tried from BPAL, and it's one of their best for sure. Absolutely perfect pumpkin dessert scent.

Verdict: 5 gingerbread-y pumpkin pies out of 5.


šŸŽƒ Chocolat Viennois (A warm mug of dark chocolate and cream with a dribble of blood)

Preliminary notes: I don't usually vibe with chocolate notes, but after trying the original Bliss, I'm a fan of BPAL's at least. I've also been craving a hot chocolate kind of scent lately.

In bottle: Rich, dark chocolate for sure, with a bit of cream and either cherry or dragon's blood (or both) underneath.

On skin: Virtually the same, but richer and less creamy. The chocolate is very dark, and the cherry-dragon's blood combo is holding strong beneath that. There's something almost floral in there as well, which could just be the dragon's blood being extra punchy. After a while, something a bit vegetal and metallic comes to the surface, which smells almost mushroom-y. I liked this before the metallic/mushroom note popped up, but once that happens, it makes me a bit nauseous.

Verdict: 4 mugs of hot cocoa out of 5 before the metallic note pops up, 2 chocolate-covered mushrooms out of 5 afterward. I don't think I'm going to be able to wear this.


šŸŽƒ Snakes in the Berry Sonker (Snake Oil, baked blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, warm pastry crust, vanilla ice cream, molasses)

Preliminary notes: The only Snake Oil variant I've tried is Snakes Basking in the First Sunbeams of Spring, which I didn't like. The orange blossom was way too sharp for me, and it just wasn't my thing. I've sampled regular Snake Oil and like it, but not enough to buy it on its own. Mostly, I was thinking about blueberry scents and this one just happened to get released around the same time, so I was willing to take a gamble on it.

In bottle: Definitely Snake Oil, with a ton of berries dumped on top.

On skin: Snake Oil, but make it baked. The pastry crust and ice cream are the strongest underneath the Snake Oil, though the berry notes are very close behind. There's something salty and almost astringent in here, and that's a problem I had with Snakes Basking as well (which leads me to believe that Snake Oil variants just aren't for me). I don't dislike this, but I'm not over the moon about it either. I think I've finally accepted that I need to stop buying Snake Oil flankers.

Verdict: 3 baked berries out of 5.


šŸÆ Dead Leaves and Honeycomb (Dead leaves, honeycomb)

Preliminary notes: The honeycomb got me, y'all. I haven't tried many BPAL scents with honeycomb notes (Elf and Strawberries & Honeycomb specifically), but I am familiar with the Dead Leaves note. I'm curious to see how the two interact. I'm hoping for kind of a wild beehive in the middle of a fall forest vibe.

In bottle: Strictly just the Dead Leaves accord. I don't get any honeycomb at all.

On skin: Mostly the Dead Leaves accord (which smells fresher than in other DL variants I've tried), and lovely, warm, golden honeycomb beneath that. There's something almost lemony (or maybe mandarin-y. Definitely a citrus of some sort) in here, which further adds to the golden feel, like an autumn afternoon in a forest, with rays of sun breaking through a copse (I know I said something very similar about The Autumn Folk, but it's true in both cases). The leaves in this one smell like a yellowing green as opposed to truly dead, which I think is really interesting in contrast with the other DL scents I've experienced. This will be a lovely late-summer-into-early-autumn transitional scent, and a lovely autumnal scent in general. The more it wears, the more I like it. This is a beautiful and evocative entry into the Dead Leaves series.

Verdict: 4.75 wisps of yellowing leaves swirling around a beehive in a forest out of 5.


šŸŽƒ Moroccan Pumpkin (Pumpkin spices, warm musk, carnation, red sandalwood, cassia)

Preliminary notes: Ah, the last of my chosen Pumpkin Patch scents for this year. I was curious about this one but wasn't overly interested in it until I started seeing reviews of it, most of which cited a hidden buttery pumpkin note. I've been craving a good carnation-y gourmand lately as well, so.

In bottle: Hm.. I don't know about this. There's something in here that's a bit cloying to me, but I don't know what it is. Maybe the sandalwood? It's very warm and spice-heavy, which is nice.

On skin: I think I figured out why this is so offputting for me. Something in it smells vegetal and very similar to celery, which is one of my least favorite scents on the planet. It's like, spicy celery with a touch of cayenne on top, which is.. to be quite honest, it's atrocious. If you like spicy, heavy sandalwood notes, this might be a holy grail for you, but it makes me feel a bit ill.

Verdict: 0 stalks of spicy celery out of 5.


šŸ•Æļø Guttering Candle (Beeswax, a blackened wick, a shuddering gust of smoke)

Preliminary notes: Y'all know me and my beeswax/candle scents. As of writing this prelim (in late October), the only review I've seen of this was in a BPAL livestream from a bit ago, which didn't paint as much of a picture of this scent as I'd hoped.

In bottle: Much deeper and darker than The Lights of Men's Lives, which is what I expected this to smell like.

On skin: Oh, man, this is good. The beeswax is definitely the same as in The Lights of Men's Lives, but the smoke in this is exquisite. It really does smell like a still-warm candle that was just blown out, which isn't an easy thing to replicate in scent form. The Lab's description of "rivulets of beeswax" is definitely apt, as this smells thick and melty. There's a very tiny hint of sweetness in here, but it's largely smoke and beeswax. I almost passed this up, because how many smoky candle scents does one really need, but I'm very glad I bought this. This scent has a very odd cozy-but-unsettling vibe to it as well, which I find fascinating.

Verdict: 5 melty, freshly blown out candles out of 5.
femmenstein: (Default)
[personal profile] femmenstein
šŸ–¼ļø Dorian (A Victorian fougere with three pale musks and dark, sugared vanilla tea)

Preliminary notes: I requested this as a free sample in my order in lieu of any other samples in my first order, since it's more expensive than other GC samples, and BPAL usually sends several (spoiler: they sent 4 more in addition to Dorian in the order I requested it in). I got the green light from the BPAL customer service team, and I'm very excited to try this! Dorian is one of the most reviewed BPAL scents I've seen.

It's worth noting that I've had Theodosius, the Legerdemain for years and love it, and it's the scent I see Dorian compared to the most. Theodosius is apparently less sweet and more citrus-heavy, so I'll probably add some comparison notes in here.

In vial: This is indeed very similar to Theodosius, but Dorian is definitely sweeter.

On skin: This reminds me of a mainstream perfume I used to have, but I can't remember the name of it*. As it warms on the skin, the similarities to Theodosius kind of melt away. There's a distinct green-ness to this scent, and there's an almost white pepper note in there as well. The bergamot in here is absolutely stellar, and the whole scent overall smells like a cup of Earl Grey tea with a heavy dollop of vanilla and sugar, but there are strange, shadowy tendrils spilling over the top of the cup.

I quite like this, actually, and I may have to upsize it in the future (a fellow BPAL forumite was selling their bottle of this a week after I wrote this review, and I did indeed upsize it. Thanks, carnival!). It's different enough from Theodosius to warrant having both. I can see why this is a fan favorite. Fans of Alkemia's Madam Pearl would probably enjoy this as well.

(*I think the vanilla reminds me a bit of Warm Vanilla Sugar from Bath and Body Works, which is one of my favorite commercial vanilla scents. I'm not at all bothered by that and am glad I was finally able to figure out what this reminded me of. It's not a dead ringer for Warm Vanilla Sugar at all, but the vanilla notes in both are similar to my nose)

Verdict: 5 corrupted Victorian tea parlors out of 5.


šŸŽ Les Bijoux (Skin musk, honey, blood-red rose, orange blossom, white peach, red apple, frankincense, myrrh)

Preliminary notes: None, other than "This sounds lovely."

In vial: The orange blossom, peach, and apple are the strongest notes. There's a veeery slight medicinal tinge in there.

On skin: This has quite the throw on it, wow. It's very much a honeyed, fruity-floral, which normally isn't my favorite kind of scent, but I do like this. It kind of reminds me of a fresher, lighter version of BPAL's Agrat-Bat-Mahlaht, which I need to get a bottle of at some point. This is a lovely springtime scent. I don't know if I'd upsize it or not, but I'll definitely use my sample when the weather warms up.

Verdict: 4 blooming orchards out of 5.


šŸ•°ļø The Antikythera Mechanism (Teakwood, oak, black vanilla, tobacco)

Preliminary notes: I've wanted to try this for yeeears but never have, for some reason.

In vial: Definitely heavy on the tobacco (which is glorious and rich), and the teak.

On skin: Ohhh, god. Bury me now, because I have died. This is a perfect balance of all of the notes, and that tobacco note is exquisite. It smells like an old Victorian cigar shoppe, and it's absolutely incredible. It's so evocative and warm. The oak comes out a bit more as it dries, but it's largely just a warm, woody tobacco scent with a touch of vanilla (akin to vanilla extract, maybe. Not a sweet or gourmand vanilla). I am in love. Upsized.

Verdict: 5 Victorian cigar shoppes out of 5.


šŸŽ The Black Rider (Black leather, opoponax, tobacco, black amber)

Preliminary notes: None.

In vial: Definitely leather, but there's also a high-pitched, almost citrusy note in there, and I'm not gonna lie, it kind of smells like leathery baby wipes. Huh.

On skin: The weird citrus/baby wipes thing goes away once it hits the skin, fortunately. It's still a bit bitter and slightly powdery, but everything melds warmly together, and it smells cozy yet foreboding and austere. The opoponax in here is fantastic. The leather reminds me of my beloved Rogue as well. The more it wears, the more I like it. It's a bit intoxicating.

Verdict: 4 austere leather jackets out of 5.


šŸ”® Morgause (A bouquet of five night-blooming flowers deepened by dusky violet, purple fruits, the barest breath of medieval incenses)

Preliminary notes: I've wanted to try this for so long, but it had been out of stock until this year.

In vial: Bouquet indeed. It's all funereal white florals in the vial.

On skin: Definitely violet-heavy, which I somehow missed in the description. I don't get any fruit and very little incense from this. It's a very pretty violet scent, with some spooky and almost misty florals behind it.

Verdict: 4 misty violets out of 5.
femmenstein: (Default)
[personal profile] femmenstein
The Highwayman (Fine linen, riding leathers, cool night air, forest oakmoss, a pinch of gunpowder)

Preliminary notes: I've wanted to try this since I started purchasing from Alkemia years ago but never have, and somehow never ended up with a sample of it after all this time either. Felt like the right time to finally explore it. This scent has gone through several reformulations, it would seem. Some older versions have campfire smoke and bloodstained lace as notes, but the current version does not, or at least they're no longer listed.

In bottle: The leather used here is one I recognize from other Alkemia scents, and all of the notes are present and distinguishable from each other as well. I was a bit worried about this one being too masculine, but in the bottle, it's perfectly unisex.

On skin: Largely the same as in the bottle, though there's something that leans almost wormwood-y in the background as well. I really love the dark, mysterious vibe this has. It absolutely evokes imagery of a menacing figure looming in a forest in the dead of night. I also love that this isn't cologne-esque at all, at least not to my nose. It's a fantastic nighttime atmospheric.

Verdict: 5 dark figures in a forest out of 5.


Encircling Flame (Glowing golden milk elixir, vanilla pods, candied ginger, Kanyakumari cloves, brown sugar, santal)

Preliminary notes: This sounds delightfully creamy and autumnal.

In bottle: This smells like a heavily spiced, clean eggnog in the bottle (which I'm totally okay with). It bears some resemblance to Eggnog Noel, but this is heavier and spicier. Very warm as well.

On skin: This kind of reminds me of a clove-heavy version of Eggnog Noel. The cream/milk note is the same in both, and the addition of spices here is so dreamy. This smells like a decadent, creamy, thick holiday drink. Warm and toasty, and absolutely delicious. If you missed out on Eggnog Noel or just want a spicier version of it, this is your chance.

Verdict: 5 creamy holiday drinks out of 5.


Evening Song (Cashmere, warm cardamom, velvety myrrh, Madagascar vanilla bean, orris root, woodsmoke, melted candlewax)

Preliminary notes: Y'all know I'm a sucker for wax notes and woodsmoke, so.

In bottle: The myrrh and woodsmoke are the stars of the show here, and what an exquisite myrrh note this is! I get a bit of the wax as well, but I can't pick out any of the other notes. That myrrh is absolutely spectacular, and probably the best one I've ever smelled.

On skin: The myrrh and candlewax in this are absolutely gorgeous, and are the two things I primarily smell the most. The woodsmoke and vanilla bean are definitely present as well, but it's mostly myrrh and wax. It's very cozy and almost veers into foody territory, but not quite. It smells soft and candlelit.

Verdict: 5 candlelit chunks of myrrh out of 5.


Of Bronze and Blaze (Autumnal bronze amber aged with cognac barrel staves, red oak leaves, Perique pipe tobacco, raw wool, ripe pumpkin, opoponax, soft suede gloves, bourbon vanilla coffee)

Preliminary notes: A pumpkin-coffee-tobacco scent sounds really interesting, and it was impossible to pass this one up.

In bottle: This scent has such an incredibly warm depth to it, and it's very complex. The pipe tobacco is very dry and rich, and I'm getting something that's skewing a bit fruity, which could be the cognac or possibly even the coffee.

On skin: This is really interesting. Immediately after application, it reminds me of a less fruity Club des Hashischins, but very shortly after that, it mellows into a waxy, warm, almost citronella scent. I'm assuming it's the cognac that's lending a tiny bit of a fruity note to this. It's very warm and cozy but also old-fashioned, like a hug from a grandfather. I quite like this!

Verdict: 4 grandfatherly hugs out of 5.


Amber Witch (Aged dark Arabian amber, honey musk, creamy bourbon caramels, spiced rum)

Preliminary notes: I've had (and reviewed) this scent before but don't remember much about it beyond it smelling like a combination of Sweet Sorcery and Caveau des Innocents, and I'm pretty sure I initially destashed it because I still had a bottle of Caveau at the time and thought they were too similar to warrant keeping both.

In bottle: Still smells similar to Caveau to me. I don't have Caveau anymore, so this one's staying in my collection this time.

On skin: I'm surprised there isn't a patchouli note listed, because I definitely get a bit of it. Largely though, it's all about the amber, caramel, and spiced rum. It's very boozy and heady. Perfect for fall and winter.

Verdict: 4 boozy caramels out of 5.


Athame (Melting wax candles, santalum, aloeswood, rare ritual incense woods, copper athame)

Preliminary notes: Wax notes and incense, y'all. Plus metallic notes always pique my interest.

In bottle: There's something almost bitter in here, and I'm not sure what it is. I don't know if it's the copper accord or something else. I absolutely get the oud (aloeswood) and incense, but I'm not sure where the bitterness is coming from.

On skin: So. Much. Incense. And not just incense, but the ash left behind from burning incense as well. This is such an evocative atmospheric. I don't get the bitterness from the bottle at all. It's just smoky, ashy incense and wax on the skin. It smells like a very dimly-lit room with the haze of incense filling the room, with candlelight barely piercing through it. What an excellent scent, truly.

Verdict: 5 thick hazes of incense out of 5.


Electric Fur (Aroused skin and soft musky fur)

Preliminary notes: I had a free sample of this a while ago and liked it enough to upsize it.

In bottle: White amber central, plus a bit of leather.

On skin: Alkemia's white amber note is definitely present in this, and I'm guessing Iso E Super as well. There's a very slight animalic, leathery note beneath all of that, so it does kind of come off smelling like skin and fur in the best way possible. It's very primal but soft at the same time. There's a distinct almost wet stone-like note in here beneath the white amber/Iso E Super combo, and it has slight leathery nuances as well, which lends well to the animalic theme.

Verdict: 4.5 furs draped over bare skin out of 5.


Rondeaux d'Amour (Juicy black plum, spicy saffron, jasmine sambac, orris root, dark red roses, golden amber, vanilla incense, slightly dirty patchouli, botanical pheromones)

Preliminary notes: I don't know how I haven't tried this yet, given that I'm a plum note fiend, but here we are.

In bottle: Primarily a gorgeous plum note, rose, and a bit of patchouli.

On skin: The plum note in this scent is absolutely stunning. It's deep, dark, and juicy. I get the rose, vanilla incense, and patchouli, but everything else is melding into the rest and is hard to pick apart. This reminds me very slightly of Salome, but Salome is quite soapy compared to this. Overall, this smells slinky and sensual, and a bit dangerous.

Verdict: 4.5 plum-scented femme fatales out of 5.


Ydalir (Fossilized amber resin, oakmoss absolute, Siberian black pine, smoked juniper tar, balsam pine needles)

Preliminary notes: Ah, Ydalir, my precious. My first bottle passed its prime years ago and needed to be disposed of, and I've been longing for another one ever since. This is the best smoky forest scent I've ever had the pleasure of smelling, or at least that's how I remember it.

In bottle: Still the best smoky scent I've ever smelled. This is like smelling the smoke of a thousand campfires all at once, or smelling the inside of a woodstove. I adore it so much.

On skin: This smells exactly like the neighborhood I grew up in during fall and winter, when everyone on the street has their woodstoves going. It's sublimely smoky. Very sappy as well. The best realistic woodsmoke/woodstove scent I've come across for sure.

Verdict: 5 very smoky woodstoves out of 5.


Tabac Single Note (Tobacco single note)

Preliminary notes: I recently discovered that Alkemia had released this, and it was a free gift option in this order, so it was a no-brainer.

In bottle: Veeery syrupy, caramel-y tobacco. It bears a very heavy resemblance to Miel de Sauvage et Tabac.

On skin: This has a very thick, syrupy, almost boozy character. It's similar to Miel de Sauvage et Tabac, but this is darker and more full-bodied. There's a bit of dryness that reads as dried tobacco leaves, which makes perfect sense given the official description. It's rich, chewy, and refined. Perfect for colder months as well.

Verdict: 5 chewy tobacco leaves out of 5.


Gaea (Forest loam, new ferns, decaying leaves, maple sap flowing over lichens, mosses and wet stones at the edge of a vernal pool)

Preliminary notes: I asked for a bottle of this instead of Fairy Floss Alchemy, since I already had a bottle. I had this years ago and loved the stone and moss notes in it.

In bottle: The stone note in this is absolutely stunning and photorealistic, and the mosses and ferns are magical.

On skin: "Magical dirt" is a weird way to describe this, but it's very apt. There's definitely a lot of damp earth, moss, and stone in here. In a lot of ways, this reminds me more of cemeteries than St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 and is largely why I wanted to have a bottle of it again (gotta smell the part while visiting cemeteries, after all). It's a beautiful, damp atmospheric and is nuanced enough that it doesn't just smell like a fistful of soil.

Verdict: 5 mossy gravestones out of 5.


In a Northern Wood (Elemi balsam, balsam fir needles, charred cedar heartwood, dark oakmoss, opoponax, aged oudwood, deerstongue fern, woodsmoke, aromatic fungi, patchouli, loam)

Preliminary notes: I think I had a sample of this at one point, but I don't remember anything about it. It sounds delightfully woodsy, and I'm addicted to Alkemia's woodsmoke notes.

In bottle: Looots of greenery and fir. There's something else that smells very familiar in here, but I can't pin what it is.

On skin: This has an almost fennel-y haze to it, and I'm not sure where that's coming from. It's extremely evocative of being deep in a foggy forest dotted with ferns and mushrooms, with a campfire somewhere in the distance. It's fairly masculine, but not so much that it's overwhelming. It smells very natural and green.

Verdict: 4 foggy forests out of 5. That weird fennel-like note goes away after a while, and then a very slight spiciness takes its place. This one's a bit of a morpher and has a lot of depth.


Confectionaire (Angel food cake, French macarons, spun sugar floss, vanilla toffees, bergamot-orange tartlets, cassis liqueur, candied violets, coconut orchid, neroli orange blossom, gardenia, violet leaf, santal musk, caramel amber)

Preliminary notes: I had wanted to try this one for a good long while but never did, for whatever reason, which seems to be a very common theme for me.

In bottle: Very, very buttery. I get the citrus notes, a bit of the coconut orchid, and whole lot of sweetness.

On skin: The citrus notes and something very buttery (most likely the cake) are at the forefront here, along with a slight berry note from the cassis liqueur. I was a bit worried that this was going to be too floral or too fruity, but it's lovely. It smells like an elegant, expensive dessert covered in edible flowers and golden fruit sauce. There's a toasted coconut quality that comes out in the later drydown as well, which gives the whole thing a bit of a cozy vibe. Definitely glad I didn't miss out on this one!

Verdict: 4.5 elegant desserts out of 5.

Bohemiens en Voyage (Freshly cut hay, golden amber, dried tobacco leaf, dried orris root, rockrose, sun-warmed skin, buckskin suede, wild sugarcane)

Preliminary notes: I have wanted to try this for years, but then it was discontinued. I managed to pick up a bottle from the July sale leftovers.

In bottle: Very fresh hay and something herbal.

On skin: Lovely autumn hay. A bit of syrupy tobacco leaf as well. The whole thing has a very golden tone to it. There's something a bit powdery in here, but not so powdery that I find it off-putting. All in all, it's a lovely, warm, sun-kissed autumnal hay scent. The almost-mintiness from A Roll in the Hay is in this as well, and the tobacco leaf goes between syrupy and slightly smoky.

Verdict: 4 sun-kissed hay bales out of 5.


Falling Leaves Alchemy (Sweet maple sap, fallen heirloom orchard apples, warm blonde woods, a whisper of suede, sultry gourmand musks swirling like golden leaves)

Preliminary notes: Autumnal atmospherics, my beloved. I usually stay away from apple notes, but I'm pretty well acquainted with how Alkemia's apple notes behave at this point. I also have zero willpower when it comes to resisting autumnal scents as a general rule, especially if they have sap notes, soooo.

In bottle: A beautiful, crisp apple note beneath a bit of maple and citrusy leaves.

On skin: Largely the same as in the bottle. It's a very perfumey autumnal atmospheric. There's something almost boozy in here as well, which could be the apple mixing with the maple sap, maybe. It almost threatens to go soapy but never quite gets there. It's very pretty and orange-gold.

Verdict: 4 autumn afternoons out of 5.


Wings of Flame (Wild honeycomb, agarwood, golden coffee, birch syrup, deertongue grass, larch needles, berlandiera, cistus, maple, blonde woods)

Preliminary notes: I've heard this likened to drinking a cup of coffee with a Toblerone on the side, which sounds lovely. There's apparently a hidden chocolate note in here somewhere.

In bottle: I can definitely see the Toblerone thing, and the hidden chocolate/cocoa note. Mostly though, it just smells like an autumnal forest.

On skin: The honeycomb note in this is gorgeous. I don't get any of the coffee specifically, but I do get something that's giving the scent a very golden, sunlit tone. As opposed to drinking a cup of coffee with a Toblerone on the side, I'd say eating a Toblerone while on a hike in the middle of October. I quite like this! It reminds me a bit of Bohemiens en Voyage, but it's not nearly as powdery or heavy.

Verdict: 4.25 Toblerones in the forest out of 5.


Bonfire Toffees (Creamy caramel, buttery toffee, warm Madagascar vanilla, glowing benzoin incense, wisps of bonfire woodsmoke)

Preliminary notes: Make no mistake, this isn't a re-release of Alkemia's Bonfire Toffees & Woodsmoked Oud from years ago. This sounds absolutely delightful, and I have high hopes for it. The caramel note in Dusk in Autumn is one of my favorites, so I'm hoping this has a similar vibe that way.

In bottle: In the bottle, this basically smells like a caramel version of Smoke & Mirrors, which is to say that the woodsmoke note is the same. Love it already.

On skin: In pitting them against each other, the woodsmoke note is most definitely the same. Bonfire Toffees reminds me of previous years of All Hallow's Eve, especially 2021. The resemblance there is very striking, actually. This doesn't have the licorice/anise note, but it's incredibly similar otherwise (which is great for those who either love All Hallow's Eve 2021 or missed out on it). There is a tad bit more depth and darkness to this one versus AHE 2021, and the toffee note is unique to this as well. It doesn't have the caramel note from Dusk in Autumn that I was hoping for, but it's still a lovely, cozy, sweet scent.

Verdict: 5 caramel-scented bonfires out of 5.


Amber Alchemy (Golden amber resin, rockrose, coriander, vetiver, sandalwood, ceremonial incense woods)

Preliminary notes: These last two were surprise additions to my order that I wasn't expecting. Many thanks, Alkemia team!

In bottle: This is interesting. There's a contrast between smelling warm and smelling cool, but not in a minty way. It's definitely resinous and woody.

On skin: This bears a bit of a resemblance to Ambre Extrait, which is an old Alkemia favorite of mine. It's a very dry, resinous wood scent, and it smells sunlit somehow. It's like a bottled golden afternoon in mid-October. Lovely. I'm surprised there's no Iso-E Super listed, because I definitely get a small hit of that in here, which adds a very tiny aquatic edge to everything. Ultimately, I prefer Ambre Extrait for my amber fix, so I gave this to my boyfriend, who loves it. It smells absolutely divine on him compared to me, too.

Verdict: 4.5 golden October afternoons out of 5.


Hex (Frangipani, night-blooming Moroccan flowers, allspice, black tea, Madagascar vanilla, tonka, sweet benzoin resin, black amber, frankincense, vetiver, a caress of patchouli)

Preliminary notes: Hex is a scent that I should have tried years ago but never got around to. It sounds right up my alley. Witchy florals? Yes, please.

In bottle: Veeery floral, with an underpinning of spice and resins.

On skin: Oh, man.. floral soap. So much soap. I'm not sure if it's the florals themselves or the combination of everything that's contributing to it, but it's overwhelmingly soapy.

Verdict: 0 floral soaps out of 5. Not for me.
femmenstein: (Default)
[personal profile] femmenstein
These were all purchased with store credit that was issued for shipping overages.

ā˜€ļø Glowing Vulva at Ryogoku Bridge 2024 (Cream accord, amber, teak, lotus blossom)

Preliminary notes: I've seen so many reviews comparing this to The Antikythera Mechanism, which I love. I've also discovered that I like lotus notes.

In bottle: This is remarkably similar to The Antikythera Mechanism. It's basically The Antikythera Mechanism plus creamy bubblegum. What a vibe.

On skin: The cream and lotus (bubblegum) take center stage on the skin, and it takes on a much softer, femme tone. It's such a soft, glittery pale pink scent. The teak note is stunning, and everything blends together so well. This is so elegant, romantic, and sensual, I love it.

Verdict: 5 pieces of soft pink glitter out of 5.


šŸ‡ White Rabbit (Strong black tea, milk, white pepper, ginger, honey, vanilla, clean linen)

Preliminary notes: I had a sample of this and tried it *one* time before upsizing it. Such a great tea scent.

In bottle: The linen and something lemony are heavier in the bottle (which is the 2024 reformulated version) than in the imp I have. Interesting. The white pepper is also virtually missing. I think the imp I have was from a forumite, so it could be that it was aged and might be the pre-reformulation version. I'm not entirely sure.

On skin: It's really unfortunate that the white pepper note is missing here, because that was the standout note for me in the imp. As it is, it's a very nice milky, honeyed tea scent with a slight floral edge, but it definitely lacks the bite that's present in the imp. I'm hoping the white pepper note will come out with a bit of age. I will say that the milk note in this scent is almost photorealistic. Milk notes tend to smell more like marshmallow or sometimes have an almost fruity quality to them, but this one smells like real, fresh milk.

Verdict: 5 spicy teas out of 5 for the imp, 4 milky teas out of 5 for the reformulated bottle.


🧁 Rhubarb Custard Muffins (Tart rhubarb, oven-browned sugar crystals, golden cake, warm custard)

Preliminary notes: I've been wanting to try a rhubarb note so bad for a long time. I love rhubarb in pies and whatnot, so this seemed like a good idea. I love custard and cake notes too.

In bottle: Smelling this made my eyes roll back. It's everything it claims to be and more. The rhubarb note is phenomenal, the cake note is delicious, and the custard is peeking out a tiny bit as well. It smells like a warm dessert.

On skin: Virtually the same as in the bottle, but a bit sweeter and deeper. I've smelled a few of BPAL's cake notes, and the one featured here is by far the best. The rhubarb and custard notes are also exquisite. This layers phenomenally with Pink Moon 2024. That combination smells like the most decadent, golden strawberry rhubarb cake. By far the most realistic gourmand I've tried from BPAL.

Verdict: 5 delicious rhubarb cakes out of 5.


ā˜• CafĆ© Mille et une Nuits (Shisha, thick coffee, cardamom pods, cinnamon, clove, black pepper, nutmeg)

Preliminary notes: I've been wanting to try this one for a while. The notes are very different, but the vibe reminds me of Alkemia's Club des Hashischins, which is an old favorite.

In bottle: Definitely the same kind of vibe as Club des Hashischins, but that's where the similarity stops. This is a spicy, slightly creamy coffee scent and isn't as heavy as I was expecting. It has some similarity to BPAL's The Jeweled Spider as well.

On skin: This is delicious. The coffee is so rich and thick that it almost reads as a deep chocolate, and the spices are exquisite. The shisha is definitely there as well. This scent smells like a place as opposed to a thing, so I think BPAL did well in what they were aiming for here. It smells like a very dimly-lit coffeehouse tucked into a back alley, where the scents of spiced coffee and rich tobacco waft out of the windows. This is going to be absolutely stunning in cooler weather.

Verdict: 5 mysterious coffeehouses out of 5.


šŸŒ™ Pink Moon 2024 (Sugar-swirled strawberry milk, frothed marshmallow cream)

Preliminary notes: You know what, sometimes you just have to buy the most whimsical-sounding scent that a company has. This sounds delightful and very girly, which normally isn't my thing, but I'll make an exception for strawberry milk and marshmallow. I've also noticed I've been craving lactonic scents over the last few months, so this fits the bill for that too.

In bottle: Again, eyes rolled back. There's something about the strawberry note that smells a bit like children's multivitamins, but it mostly just smells like a tart strawberry milkshake. As I'm writing this, the Strawberry Moon is tomorrow, so I plan on wearing this for that.

On skin: The strawberry is a little artificial here, but it's a very smooth, creamy strawberry milkshake scent, which is what I was looking for. I can't discern the marshmallow outright, but it definitely adds a silky sweetness to the scent. There's not much to say about this, as it's fairly simple, but I like it a lot. It smells nostalgic.

Verdict: 4 strawberry milkshakes out of 5.


😈 The Demonaic (Black poppy absolute, dried rose petals, opoponax, black labdanum, kyphi smoke, honeyed oud)

Preliminary notes: I've surprisingly not been able to find any reviews of this scent whatsoever, but it sounds right up my alley. I don't actually know that I have a reference for what black poppy smells like.

In bottle: Oh wow, this is dark. I mean, I was expecting it to be, but it smells like an abyss. It's fairly dry and very resinous, and I cannot pick out a single individual note in there.

On skin: Largely the same as in the bottle. There's something with a bit of a bite in there. I can make out the opoponax, but everything else is seamlessly blended. It smells meditative, like dark temple incense burning in a little metal censer. I was initially apprehensive of the oud, since oud can either be really good or really bad, but I can't detect it at all here. The rose eventually peeks out from underneath the glorious opoponax bomb, but it smells dried as opposed to fresh. I adore this.

Verdict: 5 curls of incense in a dark temple out of 5.


šŸ”® SDPU2 (prototype) (No notes given)

Preliminary notes: None. I received these last two as frottles in a relatively sizeable combined order a while ago.

In bottle: Something sharp and herbal.

On skin: Definitely lavender, maybe a bit of plum or some other dark fruit. Maybe a touch of lotus as well, but mostly lavender. It borders on powdery, which isn't my thing at all. It reminds me of how baby dolls used to smell in the 90s, so if that's your jam, looking for this in swaps might be worthwhile.

As it dries, it takes on a distinct Fruit Gushers scent, so I think there are more fruit notes at play here than just plum. Maybe a tiny bit of lime. I'm.. not really a fan.

Verdict: 2 Fruit Gushers out of 5.


šŸ‹ PX68 (prototype) (No notes given)

Preliminary notes: None. I received these last two as frottles in a relatively sizeable combined order a while ago.

In bottle: Almost strictly orange peel, but a really nice orange peel.

On skin: I don't know what I'm smelling, but it's citric. A very weak citronella or maybe lemongrass, with a clean laundry backdrop. It takes a bit, but it finally reveals itself as orange, like it smells in the bottle. It reminds me of what I remember Eau/Elixir des Merveilles smelling like a little bit, so I wouldn't be shocked if there was also sandalwood, tonka, or amber in this as well. I quite like it. It's very light but still warm, which will be nice for warmer months.

Verdict: 4 nostalgic elixirs out of 5.
femmenstein: (Default)
[personal profile] femmenstein
šŸ“– Dee (Soft English leather, rosewood, tonka, a hint of incense, parchment, soft woods)

Preliminary notes: I've wanted to try this since I first stumbled across BPAL but.. never did, for some reason? I love readerly/writerly scents, as you may know, so this is right up my alley. I love bookish scents that include incense notes as well.

I've also been playing a lot of Baldur's Gate 3 recently, and y'all cannot tell me that this doesn't sound exactly like how Gale would smell.

In bottle: Fairly masculine-leaning in the bottle. It's woody and incense-y, with a bit of an herbal note peeking out. It also smells slightly honeyed.

On skin: The parchment comes out a LOT more on the skin, which I love. I get the leather as well, which is soft and maybe tan or brown. It does smell like an astute, well-read wizard, and I adore it. The parchment note reminds me a little bit of Quintessence of Dust, which is a favorite of mine. This is like Quintessence of Dust's refined, more mysterious cousin who arrives with a procession of ravens. My whole spiel about this smelling like Gale from Baldur's Gate 3 is very accurate, though maybe more the scent of his tower than Gale himself.

Verdict: 5 dark, refined wizards out of 5.


šŸ„€ Cicuta (Dry, dusty rose petals, candle smoke, frankincense, saffron)

Preliminary notes: This has been on my to-try list for as long as I've been purchasing from BPAL, but I just.. never bought it until now, for whatever reason. The posts on the BPAL forum dress Cicuta up with all sorts of gothic-romantic imagery: cobwebs, candelabras, dusty attics, velvet, old castles and catacombs, you name it. I'd wager that given my blog's name, it's fairly obvious that I'm very drawn to that kind of vibe.

In bottle: Exactly what it says on the tin. Dry roses, candles, frankincense, and saffron. It smells very romantic , and there's something very slightly fruity in there.

On skin: Okay, so I completely get where the people on the forum were coming from when they said this has a "forlorn vampire in an old castle" vibe. It smells almost wet as well somehow. The rose, candles (including gauzy, thin smoke), resins, and saffron are all accounted for. This is absolutely gorgeous, and any darkly-inclined people who are fans of rose notes will love this. I adore this so much, and it's easily earned a spot among my favorite BPAL scents. It smells incredibly romantic in an almost tragic way. A+.

Verdict: 5 tragically beautiful vampire romances in castles out of 5.


šŸ•Æļø The Lights of Men's Lives (The wax and smoke of millions upon millions of candles illuminating the walls of Death’s shadowy cave: some tall, straight, and strong, blazing with the fire of life, others dim and guttering)

Preliminary notes: I reviewed this just shy of 3 years ago, but my formatting was very different, and I don't think it quite got the write-up it deserved. So, it's time for a revisit review! I previously described this scent as a whole lot of beeswax, a bit powdery, and a gauzy, light smoke note.

In bottle: As I remember. A ton of beeswax and a bit of smoke. This is in a similar vein to Arcana's Snug, which is largely why I repurchased it. I don't have any Arcana oils in my collection anymore and needed to replace Snug.

On skin: This definitely smells a bit different than the bottle I used to have. The candle smoke note is a lot stronger, and the beeswax smells more like regular candle wax. There's something almost floral about it as well, which is odd. The floral note burns off after about 5-10ish minutes, and it becomes smokier. It kind of melds into a vanillic, waxy skin scent. As it dries more, it does start to resemble Snug/the original version I had of this scent. It might just need to age a bit.

Verdict: 3.75 smoky candles out of 5.


🌹 A-Rovin' (Sultry red musk, heady jasmine, tobacco leaf, red sandalwood, hay sugar, golden honey, sweet carnations, warm leather)

Preliminary notes: I've wanted to try this since its release a few years ago. It sounds like a bombshell of a scent, and I love a lot of the notes in it.

In bottle: Definitely get the red musk, tobacco, honey, and something else I can't quite pin. It smells very purple-red.

On skin: This is incredible and indescribably sexy, which makes sense given its inspiration. The red musk, tobacco, honey, and now carnation are at the forefront. I get a bit of the jasmine, which isn't stinky or strong (note: after having it for a couple of months, the jasmine definitely leans into stank territory but never gets super overwhelming). There's something of an almost wine-like quality to this as well. Overall, it paints a picture of a very strong, take-no-shit woman who knows exactly what kind of effect she has on people. It's seductive, it's commanding, it's perfect. I adore this so much.

Verdict: 5 seductive, strong ladies out of 5.


šŸ”® The Witch Queen (Wild plum, red musk, tuberose, calla lily, heliotrope, pimento, ylang-ylang, beeswax, sinister purple-hued incense smoke)

Preliminary notes: This is another one that I had previously destashed and don't know why, because I was obsessed with this scent. It reminded me heavily of Dior's Poison (which shares the plum, tuberose, incense, heliotrope, and musk notes), but less chemical smelling.

In bottle: This smells more floral than I remember and doesn't bear any similarity to Poison in the bottle. Interesting.

On skin: Ah, yes. There she is. Deep purple, slightly fruity, dark florals. Still bears a striking resemblance to Poison but isn't as heavy. The plum note in this is exquisite, and the whole scent is very mysterious and beautiful. A power scent, to be sure.

Verdict: 5 witch queens surrounded by purple smoke out of 5.


🧁 The Picture of Dorian Sufganiyot (A deep-fried fougere with three pale musks and dark, sugared vanilla tea)

Preliminary notes: I hadn't initially planned on buying any more oils for a while, but after trying 2023's version of Dorian and loving it, I really wanted to grab a bottle of this before it's taken down.

In bottle: Dorian 2023, but with some added bakery cream. A bit lighter as well.

On skin: This smells like a delicious, expensive lemon-tea cream-filled donut. It's unmistakably Dorian, but it's fluffier and less corrupt-smelling than the OG version.

Verdict: 5 corruption-filled donuts out of 5.

Comparison to Dorian (2023): Dorian Suf is a bit heavier on the citrus, while Dorian 2023 is heavier on the tea. There's a very distinct cream note in Dorian Suf that Dorian 2023 lacks. Ultimately, they are remarkably similar, so if you have one, you probably don't need the other unless you're someone who really enjoys Dorian, like myself.


🌷 Portrait of Princess Marthe Bibesco (Toffee-touched vanilla bourbon filigree, antiqued white rose petals, auburn musk, honey dust, white silk)

Preliminary notes: I'm a sucker for toffee and honey notes, and I really wanted to pick this up before it was taken down.

In bottle: Toffeetoffeetoffee, a tiny bit of rose, and a bit of booze. Reminds me a tiny bit of Asses Plus Long, Qu'un Siecle Platonique, but it's not soapy or laundry-like at all.

On skin: On skin, it's a very sweet, toffee-heavy rose scent with a bit of musk and booze. Smelling it from afar, it smells like butterscotch pudding, which is really interesting. It's not completely gourmand but leans heavily in that direction. The rose note is very fresh and realistic, as most of BPAL's rose notes are, in my experience. This is what I wanted Asses Plus Long to be: a toffee-heavy, fresh rose scent.

Verdict: 5 toffee-encased roses out of 5.


šŸƒ Stańczyk (Scarlet silk, spiced rose petals, well-worn red leather, Oman frankincense, labdanum, dried cherries, blackberry wine)

Preliminary notes: Wasn't initially going to get anything from the April release, but Jan Matejko's Stańczyk is one of my favorite paintings, and the notes are too good to pass up. It sounds like a relative of Nimue, the Blood Queen, which is an old favorite that I regretfully don't have anymore.

In bottle: The dried cherries and blackberry wine are the strongest notes in the bottle. There's a background of something sultry and delicately spiced as well.

On skin: I'm not usually a fruity scent person, but this is exquisite. The leather and rose also come out once it starts drying down a bit. This is a delicious, vampiric dream, and it's absolutely in the same vein as Nimue, except I think I like this even more. There's something very seductive about it as well. I am in love. If I was someone who didn't take literal years to go through one 5ml bottle of perfume, I'd definitely buy a backup bottle of this.

Verdict: 5 seductive vampires out of 5.


šŸŽ¶ Concert (Black velvet, ancient climbing roses, champaca magnolia, deep, resonant strings of amber)

Preliminary notes: I knew as soon as I saw the release notes for this that I needed to try it. All of the notes in here are favorites of mine, and it sounds delightfully dark and feminine.

In bottle: This is very similar to In Night When All Colors to Black Are Cast to my nose, minus the plum. There aren't any smoky notes noted in the description, but it has a very resinous, smoky quality to it. Very dark and deep.

On skin: Largely the same as in the bottle, though the champaca leans a bit more floral on the skin. The rose is incredibly dark and melds with everything beautifully. This is witchy as fuck.

Verdict: 5 coils of witchy incense out of 5.


šŸŒ™ Fierce Midnights and Famishing Morrows (Black plum, wild lily, tobacco)

Preliminary notes: I don't have any preliminary notes for these next four beyond the fact that thematically, the Our Lady of Pain collection really speaks to me. These were all add-ons to a very large combined order instead of having the shipping overages credited to my account.

In bottle: Delicious, plummy tobacco with a bit of a cool, green backdrop from the lily. This is exquisite.

On skin: On skin, it's very hard to tease the notes apart individually, but they're all there. The lily is green and fresh, the plum is deep, and the tobacco is rich and warm. I really, really love this.

Verdict: 5 debaucherous gardens out of 5.


šŸ•‚ The Shrine Where Sin is a Prayer (Deep purple Syrah, calamus, myrrh smoke, hyssop, opoponax, bitter clove, burgundy pitch, opium poppy, violet leaf)

Preliminary notes: None.

In bottle: So. Incredibly. Purple. The only note I can make out completely is the wine, which is delicious. The scent overall smells very commanding, foreboding, and decadent.

On skin: Still very purple. The wine note is decadent and rich, and it's unlike any wine note I've smelled before. I can't make out any of the other notes specifically, but it's still incredibly purple. I love this.

Verdict:5 deeply purple glasses of wine out of 5.


šŸÆ Hair Loosened and Soiled in Mid Orgies (White honey, warm musk, ambrette seed)

Preliminary notes: None.

In bottle: This smells almost like cinnamon sugar toast in the bottle at times, and other times, it just smells like slightly spiced honey.

On skin: The honey note is sweet but not overly so. This smells very woody to me. It's definitely sensual and warm. It's a pretty linear scent overall. I don't have much to say about it, honestly.

Verdict: 4 woody pots of honey out of 5.


šŸ”„ House of Unquenchable Fire (Glittering amber, frankincense, neroli, vanilla silk, champaca)

Preliminary notes: None.

In bottle: Straight neroli. I can't smell anything else.

On skin: Still mostly neroli, but the vanilla and champaca come through a bit as well. It's very elegant and pretty, and it smells shimmery. It's a bit calming and cheery as well. It's a very lovely soft, golden scent.

Verdict: 4 pools of glittering liquid gold out of 5.
femmenstein: (Default)
[personal profile] femmenstein
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.

šŸ”® 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.


šŸ„€ 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.


šŸ“– 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.


šŸŒ™ 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.


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

These samples were provided to me by Alkemia for review.

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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


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

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

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

Verdict: 2 powdery goddesses out of 5.


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

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

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

Verdict: 4 steampunk churches out of 5.


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

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

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

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


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

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

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

Verdict: 4 herbal caramels out of 5.
femmenstein: (Default)
[personal profile] femmenstein
šŸ„€ St. Fabian (The most beautiful rose accord, two ambers (one dry and golden, one sweet/vanilla), a bit of incense smoke)

Preliminary notes: I've been wanting to pick this up for years, but I've missed the day it's available every single time. I'm so glad I'm finally going to be able to try it this year!

In bottle: "Most beautiful rose accord" is right. This is VERY rose-heavy, and the rose accord is extremely realistic. I get a smidge of vanilla as well, but it's like 99% rose in the bottle. It's not a fruity rose like in The Velvet Riding Habit, which I appreciate. Fruity roses are not my favorite.

On skin: This is absolutely beautiful. The rose accord is married seamlessly with the vanilla and incense, and the amber provides a warm base for it all. The rose accord still doesn't threaten to go fruity, which I very much appreciate. This could very well be a new holy grail rose scent for me. It's sweet, but not too sweet, and the whole thing feels very reverent and romantic.

Verdict: 5 curls of incense smoke enveloping a rose out of 5.


šŸ‡ Bacchante (Concord grape wine, smooth patchouli, labdanum, a bit of red musk, a slight amount of a "bright" musk)

Preliminary notes: Grape can be hit or miss in general, but I'm a huuuge fan of Bacchus in mythology, and this sounds very slinky and sexy.

In bottle: Immediately upon opening the bottle, the first thought I had was "BPAL!" The wine/red musk combo is in a lot of my favorite BPAL scents, so I guess that's not far off. The wine accord here has quite a bite to it, and it smells like real grapes as opposed to like, grape flavoring. I quite like this already. It's sultry.

On skin: Once this is on the skin, it becomes quite dark and deep. The musks take over a bit, though the grape is still very much there. It's a very sexual and seductive scent. I love it. As it wears, it melds into this delightful woody incense scent.

Verdict: 5 wine-stained seductresses out of 5.


šŸ”„ Joan of Arc (Churchy incense, smoke from a campfire, a bit of wood)

Preliminary notes: Incense and smoke? Enough said. I'm sold.

In bottle: Hmm.. something in here smells like a combination of baby powder and baby wipes. Hoping that doesn't translate to the skin. I don't get any smoke or wood.

On skin: Up close, it does smell like wood and smoke/incense. From afar, it smells very.. odd, and I'm not sure why that is. This is a very strange scent, and I'm not sure what to think of it. Can't say I'm a fan.

Verdict: 2.75 confused censers of incense out of 5.


šŸŽ€ Candybox Pretty (Sweet white flowers combined with a "champagne musk", lemon, candlewax, gardenia, tuberose)

Preliminary notes: This kind of sounds like a more floral Madame X, which I have and love. I'm a big tuberose and gardenia fan, so I'm imagining this could be a flirtier, pink sister to Madame X.

In bottle: This is quite light, and very pretty, so it's aptly named. The lemon note is very soft and fresh, and the whole thing smells very ethereal. Woodland faeries would smell like this during the springtime.

On skin: Veeery floral. I definitely smell the tuberose, lemon, and wax. It reminds me of something, but I'm not sure what. It smells very white-pink and is quite a flirty fragrance. It'd be great for the springtime. It's a bit too light/clean for me, but it's a nice scent.

Verdict: 3.5 flirty flowers out of 5.


šŸ’€ Jael (Cream, cardamom, clove, pear, lemon, Balm of Gilead)

Preliminary notes: I don't normally vibe with pear notes, but someone on the Possets forum described this as evoking imagery of an ancient feast, and that was enough for me. Something about the note lineup sounds medieval to me, so that checks out.

In bottle: This is VERY warm, and it smells like molten gold. The pear smells almost baked, and it's not a shampoo-y pear note, thank god. I kept pulling off the cap and smelling this repeatedly after the first sniff, so that's always a good sign. It's intoxicating.

On skin: Not much difference from the bottle, minus the potency. This has very decent throw. Everything melds together pretty seamlessly, but the cream and almost-baked pear are the strongest. I love this.

Verdict: 5 ancient feasts out of 5.


✨ Stewart (Black agarwood, light leather, sandalwood, buffed mahogany)

Preliminary notes: I'm not gonna lie, most of the motivation for getting this one was that it sounded like something my charlatan warlock character in D&D might wear or smell like (or, alternatively, what Gale's tower in Baldur's Gate 3 might smell like). I am but a simple woman. šŸ˜‚

In bottle: This is masculine-leaning for sure and almost smells a bit soapy, like extremely expensive aftershave. The mahogany is the strongest note in the bottle for me. I quite like this.

On skin: There's something quite green-smelling in here, but I'm not sure what that could be, given the notes. Still very masculine, still smells like expensive aftershave, but I like it. I feel like there have been men in my life who have smelled almost identical to this before. It's quite intoxicating, I must say, and I passed this off to DH to enjoy instead, as it's a bit too masculine-leaning for me.

Verdict: 3.75 refined gentlemen out of 5.
femmenstein: (Default)
[personal profile] femmenstein
šŸ„€ Memoriam (Heirloom roses, woodsmoke, a scattering of ashes)

Preliminary notes: The first time I ordered Memoriam was 5 years ago. My bottle got a bit funky over time, and I ended up tossing it even though it was one of my favorite Alkemia offerings. When Alkemia put up their last chance updates a while back and Memoriam was in there, I decided I was going to pick it up again, since I might not get the chance in the future. I loved the scent itself, so.

In bottle: Just how I remember; spicy, resinous, burning rose bushes on a background of embers.

On skin: Exactly the same as the bottle, with the smoky notes deepening a bit. I adored this years ago, and I adore it just as much now. It still very much reminds me of Type O Negative, too.

Verdict: 5 burning rose bushes out of 5.


šŸ–ļø Sea Girl (Beachy ozone, warm skin musk, wild jasmine, sugarcane, double pearl tuberose, hibiscus tea, coconut water, key lime, mandarin, white rum, clean white patchouli)

Preliminary notes: I've had my eye on this for a while now, and I finally took the plunge (no pun intended). It sounds light and airy but also slightly sultry.

In bottle: This smells very odd in the bottle. I get something very green and fresh right off the bat, along with something watery, and lastly, something salty.

On skin: This really shines once it actually goes on. The tuberose is nice and bubblegum-y, and everything blends together really well as opposed to how it was in the bottle. It smells like an elegant, Old Hollywood lady sitting on the beach with oversized sunglasses and a huge brimmed hat on. It also reminds me of Sea Goddess a bit, so if you like that one, you'll probably like this as well.

Verdict: 4.75 Old Hollywood ladies sitting on beaches out of 5.


🌊 Voice of the Sea (Salinaceous sea breezes, sun-bleached driftwood, crushed seashells, a twist of Meyer lemon peel, barnacles, mineralistic sand, seasoaked timbers)

Preliminary notes: Much like Sea Girl, Voice of the Sea has been on my radar for a while. I love a good beachy atmospheric, and I'm very curious to see how the lemon note plays with everything else.

In bottle: "A twist" of lemon peel is very, very modest. It's mostly lemon with some woods and sea air in the background.

On skin: Something in this is pulling almost cinnamon-esque on me, and I have no idea what it is. Unfortunately, it starts going kind of soapy, which is disappointing. Then after the soapy phase, it goes quite mossy, which is interesting. I can definitely see the imagery of lemon trees on a beach on an overcast/rainy day.

Verdict: 3.75 lemon trees on a beach out of 5.


šŸµ Tea Garden Alchemy (An elegant springtime tea party of green tea leaves, jasmine white tea, cascading cherry blossoms, delicate Japanese garden florals)

Preliminary notes: I love tea scents, and I love Alkemia's tea notes in particular, so I was delighted when my order qualified for this gift. I'm hoping the florals don't veer into soapy territory.

In bottle: I definitely get the teas and florals. I'm picking up on either lily or some other kind of white floral.

On skin: My nose really doesn't know what to make of this. I do like it, but that indole is intense. I'm hoping some aging evens it out a bit. I do really love the tea notes in this one.

Verdict: 3.5 tea gardens out of 5.
femmenstein: (Default)
[personal profile] femmenstein
Honey Craves Coffee Shops (Roasting coffee beans, honey-drizzled cake, freshly baked vanilla cookies, soft, overstuffed chairs, a hint of steamed milk)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Verdict: 5 hometown lakes out of 5.

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

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

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

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

Verdict: 5 bowls of pumpkin pie ice cream out of 5.
femmenstein: (Default)
[personal profile] femmenstein
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.
femmenstein: (Default)
[personal profile] femmenstein
Long time, no post! These reviews are from some time ago, but better late than never, I suppose.

Love (Vanilla accord, fresh cream, sugarcane, soft musk, a pinch of tea leaves)

Preliminary notes: I'm really glad this came back this year. I've been wanting to try it for a long while. Cream and tea is one of my favorite note combinations.

In bottle: This reminds me of Possets' tea and cream blends, which I love. This is much fresher, a bit sweeter, and more vanillic though. This is cottagecore as fuck.

On skin: Still very reminiscent of Possets' cream-tea blends, still cottagecore as fuck. The tea and cream notes are beautiful. The vanilla and a bit of sweetness come out after about 5 minutes, which takes this into having more of its own character. I really like this.

Verdict: 5 silky, creamy teas out of 5. This was a no-brainer and was unsurprisingly a big hit. Love that cream note.

ScƔiltƭn (Fresh milk and silky cream are heated and gently whipped with confectionary sugar, warmly spiced honey, RƩunion Island vanilla beans, sweet tonka, Irish whiskey, grated nutmeg, a bit of butter)

Preliminary notes: Another one I've wanted to try for a while. This sounds delectable.

In bottle: Oh, this is lovely. My nose recognized Arcana's honey note immediately, which was quickly followed by lots of booze and some milk.

On skin: This reminds me of Marshmallows Bite! a little bit, but this is creamier and brighter. The milk and cream are very strong here, followed by the honey and whiskey. This is delicious.

Verdict: 5 creamy, boozy beverages out of 5. I'm not shocked that I like this, and I'm glad I picked it up before the Winter stuff went down.

Philtre: Embrace (Three ambers, French vanilla, Bourbon custard, golden musk, sweet coconut milk, a soft whiff of skin musk)

Preliminary notes: The custard and coconut milk were the biggest draws for me on this one. Yes, please.

In bottle: Despite the semi-gourmand dairy notes, this is all about the musks and ambers in the bottle. It's a bit slinky and sexy.

On skin: Upon applying this, DH said "Mmm.. that smells scrumptious. I don't know if it's something I'm supposed to eat, but I'll give it a shot." (He didn't actually ingest it). It's still very much about the musks and ambers, but the custard and a tiny bit of the coconut milk peek through as well. This is seduction in a bottle.

Verdict: 5 sexy custards out of 5. This smells like the most decadent, opulent dessert served in a solid gold dish. If you ever wanna feel like a million bucks, wear this (or just sniff it).

Rose Petal Blunt (Dewy red rose petals, fresh green stems, soft tuberose, Silver Haze accord)

Preliminary notes: The only sample I've ever ordered from Arcana. I love cannabis scents, and this one sounds very pretty and feminine.

In bottle: Exactly what it sounds like. Weed and rose. I regret not just getting a full bottle of this, but I'll most likely upsize it in the future if it behaves well on my skin.

On skin: Deeefinitely full-sizing this in the future. The weed note is green, crisp, and very slightly smoky. The rose is realistic and not overbearing, so what you're left with is the smell of a vase of fresh roses in a slightly hazy room where weed was being smoked. Lovely.

Verdict: 5 toke sessions in a rose garden out of 5.

The Cunning Folk (The scent of an unread magical grimoire smudged with tobacco, surrounded by offerings of chocolate and golden amber)

Preliminary notes: I could smell cocoa or chocolate as soon as I opened the package these were all in and was initially confused, since none of them contained chocolate notes. Upon unwrapping everything, I saw this mixed in with it, which was incredibly generous of Arcana. Many thanks, if you happen to read this!

In bottle: So despite my aversion to chocolate notes, this is actually really nice. The tobacco is dry, the chocolate smells more like cocoa, and there's something a bit leathery/parchment-y hanging out beneath that as well. This smells very Halloween-esque. (I looked it up afterward, and this is apparently part of the Halloween collection. Go, brain!)

On skin: The tobacco gets a bit smoky (yum), and the chocolate calms down to a light dusting. The bookish notes are still pronounced as well. I'm kind of shocked that patchouli isn't listed as a note, because I swear I can smell a tiny bit of it in there somewhere. This smells like eating chocolate-covered toffee or Halloween candy in an old library or study.

DH thought this smelled like toffee, specifically Toffifee.

Verdict: 5 giant platters of chocolate-covered toffee in an old library, on Halloween, out of 5. This was a surprise hit! I usually stay very far away from chocolate notes, but I love this. The ambers and other notes subdue it enough that it doesn't smell like i just dumped a bunch of cocoa powder on myself or like I sat on a chocolate bar. This is the essence of Halloween and is also a perfect dark academia/gourmand crossover scent.
femmenstein: (Default)
[personal profile] femmenstein
Hello! Long time, no review, as it were. Bit of a preamble incoming.

I'd seen Possets mentioned around IMAM numerous times over the years but had never tried their stuff before. I placed two orders in early February and two additional ones in mid-February (reviews for the latter two coming soonish), and they all shipped within a week or so of the orders being placed. Being in Canada, I was worried about having to pay duty fees, since the first shipment was a fairly large one, but no duty was owed (woo!).

The oils were all wrapped well in little chiffon bags, and there was a small satchel of lavender in there as well. Some of the labels were a bit scuffed, but I make my own top labels and have all of my oils kind of cramped together without the side labels visible anyway, so that doesn't bother me personally.

I've included my fiancé's thoughts (who I'll refer to as DH in this post) as well as my own, since he's become increasingly more interested in The Hobby™ throughout our relationship. As a bit of a background, he tends to think most things either smell like baked goods (which he likes) or cleaning products and doesn't like anything overly cologne-y/perfume-y. Without further ado, reviews!



ā˜•JFK and Jackie (The finest leather, oakmoss, tabac blonde essence, a whiff of tea, silk)

Preliminary notes: Several reviews I've come across cite this one as smelling classy and expensive. I'm a leather, tea, and tobacco fiend, and throwing "classy" in the mix is definitely my vibe.

DH's preliminary notes: Maybe it smells like a biker who went through the forest while drinking tea? An elderly biker with tea in a Thermos?

In bottle: So this is a great deal subtler than I was expecting. The tea (which smells like Earl Grey) and tobacco are definitely there, along with a touch of the oakmoss. Veeery little leather. This reminds me of L'Artisan Parfumeur's Tea for Two but softer.

DH's thoughts: It's very sweet. Perhaps kind of floral? The immediate thing that comes to mind for me is girly. It's very girly. A red Jolly Rancher? *reads him the notes* Oh, I smell the tea now! Damnit.

On skin: Ah! There's the leather. It's a very soft, worn type of leather as opposed to the interior of a new car. The leather note mellows quite a bit after about half an hour, and the tea becomes the focus again. This is absolutely classy, refined, and elegant. It smells expensive. Leans slightly masculine but not enough to bother me, and it goes a little soapy in the drydown, but again, not enough to bother me. DH wore Adamus and I wore this one day, and they go very well together as companion scents. I love the tea note in this so much.

Verdict: 5 classy politicians out of 5. I adore this.



⛪Midnight Mass at Old St. Mary's (Resinous incense, polished wood pews, beeswax candles, offertory fruits)

Preliminary notes: I have a soft spot for churchy incense blends despite not ever being a church-goer (minus like, one summer at bible school that my neighbor dragged me to when I was a kid), and I'd wager this is going to be similar to a lot of church-inspired scents I've tried before. However, there are never too many!

DH's preliminary notes: Someone doing cabinetry beside a bee's nest (followed by both of us cry-laughing).

In bottle: The incense is the first detectable note, followed by some nondescript fruits or wine and a bit of dusty wood. The beeswax is waaay in the background, but I like it thus far. Something about it smells old world-y, and it's indeed very churchy. Like a very old wooden pseudo-cathedral with artful religious depictions on its stained glass windows, lit solely by candlelight which catches on various brass fittings inside the church.

DH's thoughts: There's something almost minty in there. Maybe mint and leather?

On skin: This smells virtually identical on skin as it does in the bottle, but the resins are very slightly amped and go a bit spicy.

Verdict: 4 slightly dilapidated churches out of 5. Was hoping for a bit more beeswax, but this is still very nice and will get much use.



🌼Virginia Oldoini, Countess of Castiglione (Blue lilac accord, white hawthorn, three white musks)

Preliminary notes: The house next to ours when I was a child had huge, beautiful lilac bushes that were always in full bloom during the spring/summer, and the street leading up the hill was lined with them on one side as well. The scent of lilacs has always been intensely nostalgic to me, and I crave it during the warmer months of the year. I moved from a small farming town to a concrete jungle of a city last year, so getting to smell lilacs again would be a nice little slice of home amongst the sirens and cramped alleys here.

DH's preliminary notes: Walking through a garden in the southern United States.

In bottle: Virtually a lilac soliflore (which I love), with a little bit of depth. Exactly what I was hoping for. My heart is happy.

DH's thoughts: Definitely a floral note. It's almost like some sort of garden flower.. huh. I swear I've smelled that before.

On skin: This explodes on the skin in a cloud of purple and green hues as soon as it leaves the bottle and goes a little aquatic. Still largely a lilac soliflore, and I still adore the hell out of it. If I get really close to it, I can kind of make out the musk, which smells almost like sugar cookies (?) and warms the lilac note up a bit.

Verdict: 5 majestic lilac bushes out of 5. A winner from start to finish, and intensely nostalgic.



🌹The Velvet Riding Habit (The most beautiful of rose and the sexiest of leather)

Preliminary notes: If memory serves, Hexennacht's 50 Shades was the first scent I encountered that was just a rose/leather combo, and I fell in love with it. More or less hoping this has the same kind of feeling to it while still being its own thing.

DH's preliminary notes: A pervert's Valentine's Day.

In bottle: This one's interesting. The leather and rose blend together so well that I'm having trouble distinguishing them from each other. The rose is very fresh and lifelike, and almost fruity.

DH's thoughts: Is there honey in that? I feel like I've smelled that before. Why do I keep thinking about a beach somewhere? It slightly reminds me of certain types of suntan lotion, I think that's why.

On skin: About the same as in the bottle. Jammy rose and leather.

Verdict: 3.75 pervy roses out of 5. Something about this goes slightly musty on my skin, which I'm not into. I'll see if aging it changes that. It's definitely not a bad smell overall, and it deserves another chance in the future. DH really likes this one.

Edit: Tried layering this with BPAL's Iago to bring out the leather more, and it just ended up smelling bubblegummy. For whatever reason, the leather in this just.. doesn't really exist. To the aging box it goes. Maybe a few months' rest will bring out the leather a bit more. It is a really nice rose, and I'm too stubborn to just give up on it outright.



šŸ®Nell Gwyn (Pink cedar, cream, Thanksgiving pudding)

Preliminary notes: I'm Canadian and grew up in an Italian household, so I have no idea what Thanksgiving pudding is. Is it cakey like sticky toffee pudding, or is it a custard pudding? I guess we'll find out. Either way, this sounded delicious, and I read a review on the forum that cited it as layering well with Hungarian Rhapsody.

DH's preliminary notes: A preppy Thanksgiving party.

In bottle: I still can't tell if it's a cakey pudding or a custard one (I think it's both), but this is very creamy and spicy with a bit of a bready and nutty background. It does smell very festive and delicious. I would eat this if it were a food.

DH's thoughts: Caramel. Some sort of nut? If not caramel, then toffee? Something that belongs in some sort of baked good. It smells like it tastes good.

On skin: That bit of nuttiness comes to the forefront, along with various baking spices and a bit of the woodiness from the cedar. It smells similar to sticky toffee pudding without the toffee, if that makes sense. Still delicious and festive, still want to eat it. I'm very excited to layer this with Hungarian Rhapsody at some point.

DH's thoughts: If you weren't a snack before, you're definitely food now. (Needless to say, we both love this)

Verdict: 5 delectable festive desserts out of 5. This is a stellar gourmand and probably my favorite scent of the bunch.

Edit: I did the thing. I layered this with Hungarian Rhapsody, and it is amazing. The spice in Nell Gwyn brings out the woody characteristics of the tobacco in Hungarian Rhapsody, and that same woodiness plays off of the cedar in Nell Gwyn. It's a delicious combo, and I highly recommend trying it.



🚬Hungarian Rhapsody (Tobacco, pipe smoke, a burning cozy fire)

Preliminary notes: So again, tobacco fiend here. I've tried countless tobacco blends from various houses over the years, but nothing's really stuck out to me in the way I've wanted. A true cigar scent is what I've been after, which seem to be few and far between.

DH's preliminary notes: Grandpa's story time (with more cry-laughing on my part).

In bottle: That tobacco note reminds me of a BPAL scent I had at one point (and may still have), but I have no idea what it is. It smells like freshly dried tobacco, as opposed to stale cigarettes or an ashtray, and I'm kind of in love. It's very warm and almost honeyed. Nowhere near as smoky as I was expecting, but that's okay.

DH's thoughts: I know you're gonna hate hearing this, but soap. Not just any kind of soap, but decorative soap. Like Lush. *jaw drops when I tell him what the notes are* No fucking way.

On skin: Ahhh, this is so cozy on. Delicious, chewy, honeyed tobacco and a tiny bit of smoke. Not acrid at all. Still reminds me of something I had at one point but I can't pin it.

Verdict: 5 storytimes with Grandpa out of 5. This is probably the coziest tobacco scent I've ever smelled, and it's very comforting. I expected this to be a smoke bomb (which would have been fine, as I'm a smoke fiend), but it was pleasantly toasty and almost cuddly instead.



šŸÆThe Girls Love Vanilla! (Vanilla, honey)

Preliminary notes: Honey is one of my favorite notes (and one of my fiancé's least favorite, it seems), and every house's honey notes are different. The unlisted tobacco note cited on the Possets forum by numerous people was what ultimately sold me on this, plus if I'm being completely honest, I love the art in the listing. I adore honeybees.

DH's preliminary notes: Soccer mom who secretly smokes (??).

In bottle: Whoa. Fruit punch or fruit-flavored gum? Not sure where the honey, vanilla, or surprise tobacco notes are, because this is all sharp, sugared fruits, specifically berries and pear. This is really cloying, and I am confused. If I try really hard, I can find a toffee/taffy note similar to Lush's Honey I Washed the Kids, but it's buried underneath all of that saccharine fruit. This one needs to age for a bit, I think.

DH's thoughts: How unusual. This one kind of excites me a little bit. Like, I'm having sexual thoughts. The first thought that came to my mind was red lipstick.

On skin: Still cloying, still fruity, still confusing. This scent is so frustrating, because it feels like it's on the precipice of being something great but it's not quite there. I think this is one for the destash box. That weird fruity edge ruined this for me, unfortunately, and it makes me nauseous.

DH's thoughts: It seems like it's very close to the same, but it brings out the honey a bit more. It doesn't seem so balanced. I don't like it as much on your skin as I do in the bottle. (He later decided that he didn't know if he actually liked it in general)

Verdict: I don't want to give this a flat zero, so I'll give it 1 sad beehives out of 5. This has no redeeming qualities for me, and I can't stand it.



🌿Adamus (New mown hay, tobacco flower, sweet green moss)

Preliminary notes: This was a gift for DH that he chose for himself (kind of). He initially chose it for me, but it sounded like it would lean too masculine, so I decided to pick up a bottle for him instead. He likes more natural scents and is also a tobacco lover, so this sounds right up his alley.

DH's preliminary notes: Just sounds like a tobacco plantation.

In bottle: Like JFK and Jackie, this also reminds me a bit of L'Artisan Parfumeur's Tea for Two a bit, but less astringent and ashtray-like and grassier. It's very fresh and a bit peppery.

DH's thoughts: I can smell the grass. It actually smells like a freshly-cut lawn but with something else added to it, which is obviously the smoke you're having after you've cut the lawn.

On skin: More or less the same as in the bottle. DH's skin amps the pepperiness a bit.

DH's thoughts: I like it. Spice me up! (He later said that he really likes this and wore it the day after we did the initial review, so it's a hit for both of us!)

Verdict: 5 sexy lawn mowings out of 5. I adore this, DH adores this, and I adore it on him.



🌸Alabama (Pink fizzy mimosa, white magnolia, Canebrake jasmine, Mexican tuberose, Martinique gardenia, frankincense)

Preliminary notes: I love white florals, magnolia in particular, which is why this one caught my eye. Despite never having been to the South, I love Southern-inspired scents.

DH's preliminary notes: Vacation in Cancun.

In bottle: Ahhh, yes. Dreamy, fresh white florals that punch you in the face a little bit, with a creamy and sultry backdrop. Love this. Despite the florals being white, it smells purple (tuberose always does this to me, so I'm blaming that), which is my jam.

DH's thoughts: Weird question. Is there ivory in this? I hate going back to this, but is there a floral note in here? There's a little bit of something.. not spicy on top of it, but something that can kind of compensate near the end. Like a lemon? (Props to DH for picking out the lemony nuance in frankincense, because I can't smell it at all in here)

On skin: Virtually the same as in the bottle, but the frankincense is slightly detectable now. The florals are very fresh and lifelike. I'm in love.

Verdict: 5 white floral bouquets to the face out of 5. This is a stunning white floral scent, and I could not be happier with it.



🧈Reason (Rev. 1) (Five vanillas, three toffees, butter, cream)

Preliminary notes: Ah, the main... reason... for making my first Possets order. Toffee and caramel are some of my favorite kinds of candy, and I love the smell of both. I've been on the hunt for a good toffee/caramel scent for a long while.

DH's preliminary notes: Uh, candy store in England.

In bottle: I get that weird fruity note from The Girls Love Vanilla initially, and then the same toffee note from BPAL's Drink Me (which I love). I don't know that this is necessarily my dream toffee/caramel scent, but it's really nice.

DH's thoughts: A muffin. Is there pie in this? I sooo think with my stomach. ARE YOU WRITING THAT DOWN?! I feel like it's some kind of musk in there, one of those colored musks. No? For fuck's sakes.

On skin: Okay, so something definitely changes once it hits my skin. The weird fruity note is completely gone, and I can actually smell the toffee and butter/cream notes. There's a very, very slight tinge of coconut in there. It's tasty but not quite as robust as I was hoping for. It's pretty light.

Verdict: 3.75 candy stores out of 5. I think this one needs to age for a bit before I form a definitive opinion on it. It's too light at this stage to really know. I do really like the toffee and cream when I can smell them though.

Edit: I think I was a bit hasty when skin testing this, because the coconut tinge isn't there anymore, and it is pretty robust. It smells like creamy molten caramel and is almost boozy. I'm gonna bump this up to a 4 out of 5.



šŸ’Silver Carnations (Rev. 1) (Silver accord, carnation)

Preliminary notes: So for context, I haven't tried any of the other Possets Silvers (I have Pavane coming in the mail but haven't smelled it yet), so I'm not familiar with the base at all. However, I decided years ago in my idealistic, sappy daydreams that I wanted carnation to be a main facet of my eventual wedding day scent. Solstice Scents' Lace Draped Spectre was what I had in mind initially, but I gave my bottle away a long time ago. I figured Silver Carnations might be a good alternative, since LDS is almost always out of stock when I go to look for it (or I'm conveniently broke when it's restocked).

DH's preliminary notes: Breakfast in a palace, but a second-tier palace.

In bottle: Oh boy. Very green and spicy carnations, a green note that smells like dandelion sap, and gorgeous vanilla musk hiding beneath it. This is really pungent stuff, which is not what I was expecting. Not a dupe for LDS, since this is much stronger, but it's definitely in the same vein.

DH's thoughts: Whoa, that is different. There's definitely not a food note in there that I can detect. There's something kind of natural about it though. Like a flower growing on the side of a tree, or maybe the tree itself. Pine? Is there tree in there at all? Fuck. Well, I'm gonna quit while I'm ahead then.

On skin: Oh.. okay. The carnation goes a bit musty, which is sad. It's very deep though, and it does smell realistic. I guess I can kind of liken this to carnations in a graveyard, which fits my aesthetic just fine. This one has ridiculous lasting power and was still very strong after washing my arm off.

Verdict: 4 very aggressive carnations out of 5. I do like this, but my fuck, is it ever strong. If aging mellows it out a bit, it'll be a 5 out of 5 for sure.



Free Sample #1: Black Tea (Black tea, incense)

In vial: To be completely honest, I don't know what I'm smelling beyond chewy incense resins. It's really nice, but not in any way what I'd call a tea scent. I'm excited to try this on skin.

DH's thoughts: Mmm, candy. Minty candy?

On skin: If I get really close to it, I can smell dried tea leaves, but again, it's mostly incense resins. There's a bit of a weird salty/powdery note in there as well that gets really strong the longer I wear it. I don't think I'm keeping my sample of this.

Verdict: 2 weirdly salty teas out of 5. If this had stayed the way it was in the vial, I would have loved it. No upsizing here.



Free Sample #2: Asmita (Pink grapefruit, black pepper, sandalwood, patchouli)

In vial: ... chocolate? Something about the grapefruit and pepper mixing together is giving me a cocoa vibe, which I can't say I'm particularly fond of (I reeeally detest chocolate/cocoa in perfumes). I won't be skin testing this.

DH's thoughts: Oh, that DEFINITELY reminds me of something. Like a Maraschino cherry. It smells not real.

Verdict: 3 phantom chocolates out of 5. While it's not for me, it's not an objectively bad scent. Not upsizing this, needless to say.
femmenstein: (Default)
[personal profile] femmenstein
No witty pre-review banter this time. It's too early.

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.

Witch’s Cottage** (Warm Baked Goods, Dried Herbs, Sweet Annie, Soft Woods & Fragrant Hearth Smoke.) Full description here.

In the bottle: Sweet herbs, caramel, and woods. Not as sickeningly sweet as I was expecting.

On skin: The herbs become pretty cool and spa-like compared to how they are in the bottle, and the baked goods back off a little bit. This reminds me of something, but I’m not sure what it is, as is pretty customary with Solstice Scents. There’s something anise-like in there, which I’m assuming might be the Sweet Annie (I’ve never smelled it before, so I have no idea). More than anything else, the baked goods just add some sweetness to temper everything. They aren't really individually distinguishable.

Longevity: After a few hours, what I’m assuming is supposed to be woodsmoke comes out and gives the blend a bit of a burning plastic smell, which is pretty disappointing. It goes away within about an hour, but it’s tough to get through. Starts fading after about 4 hours, but lasted for over 8 hours.

Conjure Dark (Amber, Frankincense, Sweet Incense Smoke, Dried Rose Petals, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Woods, Oud, Vanilla.) Full description here.

In the bottle: This is strong. The frankincense, sandalwood, oud, and rose are the most prevalent, and it smells really natural. Definitely very witchy and a bit mysterious. It smells very similar to Alkemia’s Ambre Extrait to me.

On skin: Sandalwood and cough syrup. My skin chemistry ruined it. Damn. A scrubber, unfortunately.

Library*** (Leather Bound Books, A Carved Rosewood Mantle, Dying Fireplace Embers, Wood Wainscoting, Cedar Shelving and Aged Paper.) Full description here.

In the bottle: I hadn’t planned on ordering this since I had already purchased Gibbon’s Boarding School, plus I have Alkemia’s Book of Shadows, so I didn’t think I needed yet another bookish library scent. But, I had been watching The King’s Speech with my partner after fawning over Library for a while, and I thought it would kind of encapsulate what I would assume Logue’s office would smell like, so I promptly ordered it. In the bottle, the leather, cedar, and paper are the strongest players. I don’t smell anything smouldering or particularly dark, and there’s no incense, so it does differ from Book of Shadows and Gibbon’s Boarding School enough that it warrants having all of them. I get some lemony rosewood as well. This is beautiful and just what I was hoping for. It does remind me of Book of Shadows a little bit, but they’re by no means the same scent.

On skin: Lots and lots of leather, wood polish, a bit of paper, and a smouldering fireplace. This also completely changes on the skin, and no longer resembles Book of Shadows at all. It’s very woody and burnt smelling, but in a good way.

Longevity: After a few hours, everything settles into a kind of spiced wood scent, which is really nice. Lasted over 8 hours, and was still detectable after 10 hours.

Lace Draped Spectre*** (Vanilla Musk, Spicy Pink Carnation, Pink Pepper, Rose, White Musk.) Full description here.

In the bottle: I’m going to start off by saying I’m not a particularly feminine person. Most of my t-shirts have the sleeves cut off, I prefer Docs to high heels, and I really detest anything pink and frilly. Lace Draped Spectre sounded pretty girly to me, so I was a bit leery of it. I really love how carnations smell though, so I wanted to at least try it. While it’s definitely feminine, it’s also spooky and haunting, which is my jam, and one of the few contexts in which I like ā€œgirlyā€ things. The combination of notes is to die for. It’s floral, slightly spicy, vanillic, and a bit musky. If the ghost of a Victorian lady haunting a ballroom had a scent, this is it. I like this a lot more than I expected to.

On skin: The carnation and rose come out more on the skin, so the whole blend becomes even more floral than it was in the bottle. I still really love this. Lace Draped Spectre is probably the most realistic carnation scent I’ve tried. Everything else has been heavily spice-laden or really synthetic smelling, but this is just like smelling fresh carnations with some vanilla and other soft notes along with it. Beautiful.

Longevity: Fades pretty significantly after about 6 or 7 hours, but lasted for over 10 hours.

Outpost* (Sugar Crystals, Spruce, Fir, Patchouli, Soft Woods, Bayberry, Mistletoe, Amber.) Full description here.

In the bottle: Oh, man. Sugared spruce scents are the best, and this is no exception. Frozen fir and spruce dusted with sugar crystals, a bit of wood, and mistletoe. I’m a huge pine/fir/spruce fiend, and I’m very excited to see how this performs on the skin. I have high hopes.

On skin: Warm woods, fir, spruce, sugar, and other festive holiday notes. It’s definitely warmer on the skin than it is in the bottle. It reminds me of something, but I’m not sure what.

Longevity: Faded pretty significantly after about 4-5 hours, and was barely detectable after 6 hours.

Manor** (Woody-Vanilla Musk, Vanilla & Agarwood.) Full description here.

In the bottle: Definitely woody, and definitely vanillic. The oud is there, but is very well blended with the other wood notes. This is what I expected Loggia to smell like. Overall, this is a pretty simple but effective blend.

On skin: Virtually the same as in the bottle. Warm, vanillic woods. There really isn’t much to say about this one. I do suspect that there’s some guaiac wood in here as well, as I get a bit of that tarry, dry scent that guaiac wood has. Basically, it kind of smells like vanilla and dry firewood, which is really nice. I can definitely see why this is a fan favorite.

Longevity: This stayed the same pretty much the entire time I was wearing it. It lasted for over 8 hours.

Camp Willow (Campfire, Fir Balsam, Spruce, Pine Needles, Black Coffee, Vanilla Pipe Tobacco, Marshmallow & Bourbon.) Full description here.

In the bottle: Toasted marshmallows, campfire, a bit of coffee, tobacco, and booze. I get no pine notes at all in the bottle. It’s all just warm, smoky campfire-after-dark notes with a very slight gourmand edge.

On skin: Virtually the same as in the bottle. There’s an undercurrent of burning plastic as well, which isn’t my favorite. I don’t know what I was expecting from this, but it missed the mark for me.

Longevity: Started fading pretty significantly after 5-6 hours and was gone after about 7 hours.
femmenstein: (Default)
[personal profile] femmenstein
Slowly approaching the end of these Alkemia reviews! As usual, favorites are denoted with an asterisk, and Alkemia's storefront can be found here.

Blue Ridge Skyline*** (The irrepressible gladness of flowers blooming along the roadsides of the American South. Green tea infused with springtime: paperwhite narcissus, purple hyacinth, bluebells, spring daffodils, tulips, delicate tea roses, lemon blossom, sweet pepperbush, fresh greens, hay, earth, and white patchouli.)

In the bottle: This is a very ethereal white and purply-blue floral. I don’t get the green tea at all.

On skin: The green tea is very light and well-hidden by the abundance of fresh florals. This is very green, lightly sweet, vaguely herbal, and a mite bit powdery, although it’s the kind of powdery quality that flowers naturally have, as opposed to something like baby powder. I wasn’t totally sure I’d like this, but it’s really lovely. Upon seeing the notes, my partner said it should be called ā€œSpring AF,ā€ which is definitely apt. There’s something relatively cool or fresh air-like about it as well. Different facets of the florals come out as this wears. One minute, the lemon blossom is super obvious, and other times, the bluebells and tulips are prevalent. I love this so much, and it’s exactly what I was hoping for. Spring in a bottle for sure.

Longevity: Settled down a lot after the first 2 hours and became a little bit more herbal/grassy. Lasted between 3 and 4 hours and faded to a soapy floral.

Peaches in the Summer Wind*** (Lusciously ripe peaches, peach leaves, freshly mowed hay, and ash-splint wood orchard baskets.)

In the bottle: The peach leaf, hay, and wood are strong here. The actual peach is more in the background than it is upfront. There’s also a minty quality to it, which I’m assuming is from the hay, given that A Roll in the Hay has it as well.

On skin: Oh, this is unusual. The hay and wood have kind of a musty quality to them, though that isn’t a bad thing. It reads as damp wood as opposed to dry wood. The minty quality is still there, and the peach leaf is definitely stronger than the actual peach, so it’s sort of a woody, damp, earthy scent as opposed to a candy-sweet fruity scent, which I can definitely appreciate, as fruity scents are absolutely not my thing. The peach definitely reads as an actual fruit instead of something foody. Overall, this is a bit unexpected, and I love it. Perfect for late summer.

Longevity: After the first hour and a bit, the mustiness calmed down and more of the peach came out. Lasted about 4 hours.

Summer Dandelion*** (An exuberant exultation of sun warmed dandelions and meadow grasses lightly dampened by fleeting summer rain showers.)

In the bottle: God, that dandelion note is incredible. This is a sunny meadow or a grassy hill dotted with yellow in early summer. Absolutely perfect.

On skin: You know that sensation you get when you smell or taste something so good that it makes you roll your eyes? That's basically what Summer Dandelion is. The dandelion note is fantastic, bright, and fresh, and the greens are beautiful. It’s pretty much what the description says; dandelions and grasses after a summer rainfall. This is so perfect, like the scent of summer bottled.

Longevity: Faded a little bit after the first hour. Lasted between 3 and 4 hours.

SalomƩ* (An overture of not so innocent magnolia underscored with a sly caress of Queen of the Night, a fulsomeness of nubile black grapes and plums, skin musk bathed in spilled cognac, and ruthless twist of bitter orange, blended with an ancient Arabian love philtre of crushed vanilla and tonka bean, mysore sandalwood, vetiver, cedar, and red oud.)

In the bottle: Oh, this is beautiful. I get the magnolia, oud, dark fruits, and something green, which I’m assuming is the Queen of the Night. I heard various things about this being super fruity or soapy, and I don’t get either of those things, thankfully.

On skin: Generally the same as in the bottle. The magnolia and oud are the strongest, followed by a bit of something boozy and fruity (plums especially). This is very red/purple, and a bit dry. The blending is really well done, and it’s a bit difficult to pick out specific notes once it’s on the skin. I’d read previous reviews that cite this as smelling soapy, but I don’t get that at all. It’s a very dry, warm, woody fruity-floral on me.

Longevity: Between 3 and 4 hours.

Persian Tea Room** (Strong black tea, dry desert sand, and Silk Road spices, against a background of erotically enticing musk and the slight, lingering kiss of soft leather.)

In the bottle: The tea is definitely strong here, which is what I was hoping for. Very spicy and warm.

On skin: Spice, spice, and more spice. Primarily cinnamon or clove, with tea and leather underneath. This is really warm and dreamy.

Longevity: About 4 hours.

Sandscape* (Sun warmed beach sand, Atlantic ocean breezes, the saline-aquatic scent of drying sea water on skin, and the faintest hints of tanning oil and seaweed.)

In the bottle: This smells very generically beachy, but it’s really nice. The scent itself reminds me of beach towels damp with lake water, which is what the beach experience is where I live.

On skin: The same as in the bottle for the most part. There’s something cotton-esque in there, which lends to the beach towel scent I got right out of the bottle. It’s still a rather generic beachy scent, but I like it. After about an hour, it calms down significantly and becomes more of an herbal saltwater scent. Overall, it’s a fresh, slightly herbal aquatic with soft, sweet nuances. Leans a bit masculine.

Longevity: About 3 or 4 hours.

Forest Patchouli (An untamed wildness of Siberian pine, balsam fir, mistletoe blended with the rustic earthiness of iron distilled patchouli and fire cured spices.)

In the bottle: This is really pretty. Lots of wild pine, patchouli, and a bit of other greenery. This actually reminds me of a little town tucked into pine-laden mountains that I used to travel through to see a close friend of mine. The scent of pine always permeated the bus, and it was beautiful. Forest Patchouli is definitely more of a forest pine scent rather than a traditional Christmas-y pine scent. Gorgeous.

On skin: Lovely pine, patchouli, spices, and greenery. There’s also some sort of jammy fruit underneath all of that. Maybe orange? Whatever it is ends up overshadowing everything else, which is disappointing. It definitely goes more Christmas-y on the skin than in the bottle, which isn’t a bad thing. Overall, I find it to be kind of mediocre. I love pine, but this is not my favorite.

Longevity: About 2.5 hours.

BohƩme* (An unorthodox union of earthy patchouli and dark, blood-red roses.)

In the bottle: This is pretty straightforward. The rose is a bit jammy to me, which is lovely. I detect something a bit clove-like underneath that as well. Really lovely patchouli rose blend.

On skin: What it says on the tin. The rose and patchouli aren’t competing for the spotlight, and they blend into each other really well. I still detect something else in there. This scent makes me nostalgic for the days of my childhood when I would research witchy things with my older sister.

Longevity: About 4-5 hours.

Pumpkin Strumpet (A decadent blend of rich pumpkin, caramelized sugar, Madagascar vanilla, precisely balanced with a swirl of cinnamon, ginger, & clove and a tiny drop of amber musk.)

In the bottle: Cinnamon sugar with a little bit of a baked pumpkin note. Not particularly anything super interesting, but it’s nice.

On skin: Cinnamon explosion, holy shit. The vanilla and sugar are definitely in there as well, and the pumpkin reads kind of vegetal as opposed to foody. There’s something about this that I really don’t like though, and I don’t think it’s staying with me.

Longevity: The cinnamon in this really clings to the skin. All of the other notes were gone after about 4 hours, but the cinnamon stuck around for 5 or 6 hours.
femmenstein: (Default)
[personal profile] femmenstein
As usual, favorites are denoted with an asterisk. You can find Alkemia's storefront here.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Additional notes: Limited, special reserve.

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

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

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

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

Additional notes: In the last chance section.

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

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

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

Longevity: About 4 hours.

Additional notes: Custom ordered.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Longevity: Still fairly detectable after 4-5 hours.

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

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

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

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

Longevity: Lasted about 4 hours.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Longevity: Started fading after about 2 hours. Lasted about 4 hours.
femmenstein: (Default)
[personal profile] femmenstein
More reviews ahoy! This is the last batch until the next shipment shows up. As usual, favorites are denoted with an asterisk. You can find Alkemia’s shop page here.

Dustsceawung* (The scent of forbidden explorations and an olfactory meditation on dust… attic air, the inside of old trunks, abandoned haylofts, library stacks, and abandoned buildings.)

In the bottle: Dusty, but light and fresh. A little sweet.

On skin: Takes on a more musty tone, but is still light in nature. There are some nice soft woods at play here, and this is kind of dreamy. To me, this smells more like old books than Book of Shadows.

Longevity: Became close to skin after 2 hours, and faded into something soapy and reminiscent of seawater after about 5 hours. It stuck around for a few hours after that.

Miel de Sauvage et Tabac*** (Sweet, spicy pipe tobacco flecked with wild honey, freshly crushed honeycomb, the pollen of forest blossoms, and smoked black amber.)

In the bottle: Mostly warm honey and a little bit of tobacco.

On skin: The tobacco blooms, but the honey keeps it in check. There’s something minty underneath all of that, which adds a really interesting edge. There’s something in here that reminds me of Lush (in the best way), and I think it might be the waxy honeycomb. This is lovely and comforting, and not overwhelming or smothering. It reads primarily as waxy honey on me, and I adore it.

Longevity: Still strong after 6 hours. Lasted well over 12. I could still smell it faintly under other oils after 15-16 hours.

Memoriam** (An olfactory ode to love and loss. Heirloom roses, memories wrapped in woodsmoke, a scattering of ashes.)

In the bottle: Burning roses, without a doubt.

On skin: The woodsmoke calms down a little bit, so now we’ve got smoldering roses with some spiciness underneath. I was a little scared of how smoky it was in the bottle, but it’s sublime on the skin. Definitely something that would suit darker aesthetics and tendencies such as my own. If Black No. 1 or Love You to Death had a scent, this would be it.

Longevity: Faded around the 5-hour mark, dropped a lot of the smokiness, and morphed into a spicy rose, which is gorgeous. Lasted about 6 or 7 hours total.

Book of Shadows** (A biblichor of eldritch books – heavy parchment paper, ancient iron oak gall ink, crumbling leather bindings, and wafts of rare incenses.)

In the bottle: Warm leather, incense, and spices.

On skin: This is beautiful. There’s a citrus twang (frankincense, maybe) among the parchment and incenses, and the leather is nice and soft, not overbearing. This reads as old library more than old books for me, but it’s still very interesting.

Longevity: Started fading after about 5 hours but stuck around for over 7 hours.

Vert Sur Le Vert*** (Green, green, green, and more freshly smooshed sweet greens – new grasses, new leaves, welcome new spring!ā€ Listing also includes tomato leaf.)

In the bottle: Looots of greenery and grasses, and a little sweetness.

On skin: Virtually the same as in the bottle, with a little bit of the tomato leaf that I was hoping for poking through. It’s a refreshing blend of new growth greens as opposed to full grown greens, if that makes sense. Something about this is magical. I love me some green scents, so this is excellent. Definitely something that’ll be nice to wear when welcoming spring after a long winter.

Longevity: Still strong after 4 hours. Lasted a good 5 or 6 before fading.

Pear Alchemy 2018 (Spiced Bartlett pears, white amber, green cardamon, and more.)

In the bottle: I didn’t think I’d ever regard pears as a sexy fruit, but they definitely are in this concoction! Pears, something caramelized, a bit of spice, and a touch of magic.

On skin: This lightens up on the skin a little bit and has a bit of a mentholated feel in the background initially. I’m not sure what it is. It’s really lovely and light though, and it makes me nostalgic. It takes on a kind of cosmetic-scented tone as it dries down, which I’m not particularly fond of.

Longevity: Still strong after 4 hours.

Additional notes: This was a gift with purchase and is not available on its own.

Yule Alchemy 2018*** (Yule Alchemy’s elements include boozy fruitcake, crushed pine needles, biscotti, and spiced amber.)

In the bottle: Baked goods, and a little bit of pine. A classic Christmas scent.

On skin: God, this is amazing. Everything mentioned is readily detectable, and the pine is actually there! Bit spicy, bit gourmand, and all fantastic. Love this. I ended up wearing this for Christmas this year, and it was perfect.

Longevity: Still strong after 4 hours. It became more pine-centric as time went on, which I love.

Additional notes: This was a gift with purchase and is not available on its own.

Custom Text

DISCLAIMER

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

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

c. Jan 2, 2019.

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

UPCOMING REVIEWS

šŸ„€ Alkemia šŸ„€

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


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

CREDITS

Theme by [community profile] myrtillenne, slightly modified.

Banner image by Nikita Tikhomirov, slightly edited.

Sidebar image by Jan Davidsz. de Heem.

Hand icon by Hans Eworth.

Candle divider on Review Compendium and Upcoming Reviews pages by LadyGlitch.

Style Credit

Profile

cathedralofroses: (Default)
Cathedral of Roses

Most Popular Tags