Scented Musings

💀 A Melancholy of Goths (Clove smoke, champaca incense, plum velvet, hairspray)

Preliminary notes: This sounds a bit reminiscent of my beloved In Night When All Colors to Black Are Cast, which is also a BPAL scent. The hairspray note gives me slight pause, but the rest of it sounds absolutely lovely.

In bottle: This is veeery earthy, which I wasn't expecting. It smells like cold dirt, similar to BPAL's Nosferatu sans wine notes. The plum note very slightly reminds me of In Night When All Colors to Black Are Cast, but this scent is definitely different.

On skin: First off, this has quite the throw on it. Wet, I get the clove from afar, but up close, it's all plum and hairspray. The hairspray note reminds me a little bit of a shampoo I used as a kid, but I can't recall the name. There's something very slightly medicinal in here, which could be the clove and hairspray combination. After it's dried for a bit, the medicinal vibe goes away, and the clove, plum, and champaca incense take center stage (which leads me to believe it's something in the hairspray note). The clove note from a distance smells very chewy, and I know I've smelled it in other scents before but I can't remember which. I'd still say this is a cousin scent of In Night When All Colors to Black Are Cast, but it's not as dark and decadent. A Melancholy of Goths is moodier and more atmospheric, I think. Definitely more perfumey as well.

Verdict: 4.25 gaggles of goths out of 5.


📚 Lightning Strikes Literature (A lightning storm stirred with beeswax candle smoke, yellowing notebooks, pools of India ink)

Preliminary notes: Iiit's yet another book scent! Surprise, surprise. I've tried a couple of bookish scents from BPAL before, and I've seldom been disappointed. Quintessence of Dust is one of my favorites, but that one is pretty leather-heavy. Curious to see how they compare.

In bottle: This is almost strictly aquatic in the bottle with a hint of something citrusy and a tiny bit of beeswax. I get no paper or ink.

On skin: The ink and paper do come out a bit more on the skin. This is a very clean, aquatic scent overall though. I wasn't sure how this was going to go, given that I've never tried BPAL's ozone notes, but I quite like it. Lightning Strikes Literature kind of reminds me of Quintessence of Dust a little bit, but if Quintessence of Dust was backed by heavy rain. Despite me being very not into clean scents typically, the ink and paper ground it enough that it doesn't go into dryer sheet or laundry detergent territory.

The beeswax comes out after a few minutes, which is recognizable as the same beeswax from The Lights of Men's Lives. The aquatic overtone starts to take a bit of a backseat, and then it becomes a beeswaxy, readerly dream. I love this. I have tried so many book-centric scents at this point, but the ozonic/aquatic opening makes this one different. It eventually settles into a slightly vanillic beeswax scent with a hint of paper.

Verdict: 5 writers penning stories under candlelight while a storm brews outside out of 5.


🍬 Bonfire Toffee (Treacle toffee soaked in rich, dark bourbon)

Preliminary notes: I am a HUGE sucker for toffee notes, and I also love boozy notes, so this sounds like a no-brainer.

In bottle: Toffee with an almost medicinal, woody background. Makes sense, I suppose.

On skin: This is delicious. It's almost spiced, dark, slightly woody toffee. There's something in here that reminds me of coffee without actually being coffee. The best way I can describe it is the smell of a fresh batch of toffee displayed on a wooden tray with a glass of bourbon nearby. I quite like it, and it's not so sweet that it leans super feminine. It's perfectly unisex.

Verdict: 4 piles of toffee on wooden trays out of 5.


💐 Batty Lace (A leathered up, musky interpretation of BPAL’s Antique Lace: dry flowers, aged linens, and the faint breath of long-faded perfumes with well-worn leather and caramel musk)

Preliminary notes: I haven't tried OG Antique Lace, but I love leather and caramel scents, so I'm excited to try this.

In bottle: The leather is definitely one I've smelled in other BPAL scents, but it's subtle. I also get the caramel musk and an overall perfumey vibe.

On skin: Largely a perfume-y floral with a bit of a clean vibe and a bit of caramel-y musk. I don't get any leather whatsoever. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this. It's a really nice scent, but I didn't expect it to be this clean. I do really like the musk though. As it wears, it becomes more vanillic and a bit dusty, but not in a bad way. I definitely like the late drydown better than the wet stage. I think I need to re-test this once it's aged a bit.

Verdict: 3.75 caramel-covered flowers out of 5.


🍵 Tiefling Therapist (White and red sandalwood, champaca attar, frankincense, brimstone)

Preliminary notes: I don't know if I've mentioned this much in previous reviews, but I looove a good champaca note. There's something sexy and mysterious about it. This was a no-brainer for me, since I love incense-y scents, and my current DND character is a sultry tiefling, so.

In bottle: This is, unshockingly, very incense-heavy. The brimstone note kind of smells like charcoal discs. I'm also getting something that smells like neroli, which could maybe be the frankincense, since champaca isn't citrusy.

On skin: BPAL's champaca notes are beautiful, and the one in Tiefling Therapist is no exception. The sandalwood notes meld really well with it, and I don't smell any of the frankincense. The brimstone still smells like a charcoal disc but also smells a bit vegetal. Overall, this smells like really expensive incense, and I'm here for it. There's a very, very slight (almost imperceptible) soapiness to this, which I think is the sandalwood/champaca combo, but it doesn't detract from the scent at all, since it doesn't lend a "THIS IS SOAP" vibe to the scent overall. It's just a tiiiiny, tiny clean edge.

After a few minutes, the slight soapiness disappears as well, and the frankincense makes itself known. This is mostly sandalwood and champaca backed by the Lab's brimstone note, so if you're into any of that, this is for you!

Verdict: 4.5 sticks of very expensive incense out of 5.


🗡️ Rogue (Soft, well-worn black leather, hemp, rosin)

Preliminary notes: I've had this before, and to be honest, I don't remember why I destashed it. I remember really enjoying it, and that it had an odd, almost honey-like sweetness to it.

In bottle: Just as I remember. Sweet, honeyed leather and a bit of hemp. I adore this stuff.

On skin: Very similar to in the bottle. There's a very, very slight herbal edge on the skin, but it's all about the honeyed leather and hemp. It's fairly light as well. Definitely glad to have a bottle of this again.

Verdict: 5 leather-clad rogues dripping in honey out of 5.


🕷️ Drow Yoga Instructor (Wild plum, indigo lavender, a tranquil tendril of sandalwood incense)

Preliminary notes: I don't love lavender, but I've read several reviews that say the plum and incense notes in this are fantastic, sooo here we are.

In bottle: Thankfully, the lavender isn't the herbal, screechy variety. All of the notes are accounted for, and it's a very contemplative, subtle scent.

On skin: This is really pretty. The vegetal note I got from Tiefling Therapist is in here too, so I'm guessing it's the sandalwood. There's something in here that almost registers as a soft spice. The lavender smells very dusky and soft and isn't medicinal at all. The plum is a great grounding note as well. I could absolutely see something like this being used in meditation or yoga.

Verdict: 4 purple-hued clouds of incense out of 5.


🦇 Greater Horseshoe Bat (Rosewood, beeswax, labdanum absolute, blackened tea leaf, dark fuzzy musk)

Preliminary notes: Managed to nab this from the Lab's Etsy storefront. I've never tried any of the bat scents before, and this one happened to have beeswax and tea in it. The rest is history.

In bottle: Largely just rosewood and tea. It smells almost like furniture polish, which isn't a bad thing in my books. Almost anise-y as well.

On skin: The rosewood in this is absolutely stunning. There's a bit of a polished furniture vibe to it, but not in a bad way. The tea leaf and musk are present as well. I don't get the beeswax as an obvious note until late in the drydown, in which it smells like beeswax candles that have just been blown out. This one's a bit of a morpher for sure. It brings to mind imagery of elegant, studious wizards.

Verdict: 4.5 fancy wizards out of 5.


👻 Ghost Milk (Goat’s milk, marshmallow, vanilla cashmere, honey dust, white chocolate)

Preliminary notes: Yet another scent that I destashed a couple of years ago without any real basis (I think I was just overwhelmed by the sheer amount of oils I had at the time and wanted to downsize, so I ended up getting rid of things I liked, too). I didn't have Ghost Milk for very long, but I remember it being a sweet, gauzy, creamy scent. I have "cereal" stuck in my head regarding this scent as well, so maybe it smelled like cereal milk to me? We'll find out.

In bottle: Yup, cereal milk, in the best way possible. There's a very, very slight almost gingerbread-y note in there as well. The goat's milk note has never smelled like actual goat's milk to me. There's nothing animalic about this scent in the slightest.

On skin: On skin, something a bit lemony comes out, and I'm not sure where that's coming from. Maybe the honey dust mixing with the chocolate and goat's milk. The underlying spice is still there as well. Overall, it's very cozy and sweet, but not cloyingly so.

Verdict: 4.5 cozy ghosts out of 5.


💀 Dia de los Muertos (2004) (Dry, crackling leaves, the incense smoke of altars honoring Death and the Dead, funeral bouquets, the candies, chocolates, foods, and tobacco of the ofrenda, amaranth, sweet cactus blossom, desert cereus)

Preliminary notes: I purchased this from the Lab's Etsy. I can't say I've ever bought a 20-year-old perfume oil before, but here we are. The note description sounds delicious, and I had seen multiple reviews citing it as smelling like Dior's Poison, so that was enough for me. I'm a little scared to open it, honestly, but I'm confident in BPAL's use of materials, so I'm sure it's fine.

In bottle: Jasmine. A lot of jasmine.

On skin: Oof.. so this goes incredibly fecal on my skin, which is a very hard pass. No thank you. I had high hopes, but this is absolutely vile on me.

Verdict: 0 stanky jasmines out of 5.


🧛 Vampire Milk (Clove bud and goat's milk)

Preliminary notes: These last two were unplanned purchases, but they'd both been stuck in my head for quite some time, so I wanted to grab them before the Weenies were taken down in May.

I love clove, and several reviews I'd read cited the milk note as being caramel-y, which sounds lovely.

In bottle: Clove and something that smells almost like caramel or sweetened condensed milk. Definitely doesn't smell like traditional goat's milk, but it's delicious.

On skin: This is SO clove-heavy, and I love it. The goat's milk reads more as warmed sweetened condensed milk, and it has an almost holiday vibe to it. I've been on the hunt for a clove perfume that's actually clove-heavy for years, but every single time I find one, the clove is barely there. This, though, is a clove bomb, and I am overjoyed with it. This is a holy grail clove scent for me.

Verdict: 5 creamy clove drinks out of 5.


👻 Vintage Ghost Blow Mold (Milky-white plastic, candy corn, 40 watts of glowing amber)

Preliminary notes: I am a huge sucker for anything vintage-Halloween, and also a sucker for candy corn notes, which I don't think I've experienced in a BPAL scent before.

In bottle: Super promiment candy corn and white amber. It smells very clean. I don't get any sort of plastic note at all.

On skin: Okay, so, the first lesson this scent is telling me is that I need to hunt for BPAL's candy corn note in the future, because it's beautiful. My brain is connecting the "plastic" note to pumpkin pails, but again, it doesn't smell like actual plastic. It's like an artistic rendition of the concept of plastic, if that makes any sense at all. This is such a lovely, sweet scent and definitely evokes imagery of childhood Halloweens. It truly does smell glowy, and it mellows out into a delightful milky, marshmallow-y white amber scent as it wears. This is the candy corn scent I've always wanted, and I'm so glad I picked this up before it was taken down. I love this so, so much.

Verdict: 5 ghosts carrying pumpkin pails full of candy corn out of 5.

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.

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 “girly” 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.