Scented Musings

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.

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.

🥀 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.


🍇 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.


🔥 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.


🎀 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.


💀 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. 😂

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.

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 créme, 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 flambé, vanilla créme 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.

Carnival of Illustrious Hearts (ultime) (French sugarcreams, candied orange blossom, raspberry cotton candy, rosewater torte filling, bourbon vanilla amber)

Preliminary notes: DH picked this out from a deathmatch list of potential wedding scents and said it sounded lovely. I've had my eye on it since it was first released, because it sounds like a cousin of County Fair, minus the fried food and apple notes.

In bottle: Rosy cotton candy with a bit of a citrus bite. This reminds me of something else, but I can't pin what it is. It's one of Alkemia's more mainstream-adjacent scents. It doesn't smell overly gourmand in the bottle.

On skin: This basically smells like All the Sins with the addition of citrus and jammy rose. That's pretty much it. Pink, very candy-like, and sweet.

Verdict: 3.75 candy overloads out of 5. I already have All the Sins (and County Fair, which it's also sort of similar to), so I don't know if I'm going to keep this. It's VERY girly as well, which isn't really my thing.

Auguries of Innocence (ultime) (White ambergris, fresh peaches, sweet clematis accord, orange jessamine, Mexican orange blossom, night-flowering jasmine, pale cashmere)

Preliminary notes: I've heard this described as "elegant peach ring candies," which I'm not super into, but I'm hoping the florals and other notes temper it enough that it's not just straight up candy.

In bottle: Spiced peaches! I don't know where the spice is coming from, but it's there. There are a lot of orange florals in there as well, but I can't pick any of them out specifically. This has an almost jammy quality to it.

On skin: Hm.. the spice is gone on the skin and replaced by soapiness. It's turned into peach-scented floral soap, which I'm not terribly fond of. The peach is also very artificial-smelling on the skin and smells kind of juvenile, like a peach-scented toy you'd give to a young child. Not really into this.

Verdict: 2 peach-shaped soaps out of 5. I had high hopes for this one, but I should know better than to go after fruity florals. They rarely work for me. Off to the destash box it goes.

Femme Sauvage (ultime) (Wild blackberries, voluptuous musk, randy dark patchouli, the warmth of come-hither ambers)

Preliminary notes: This was an upsize from a free sample from ages ago. I already know I love it. The extrait version lasted ages on my skin, so I can only imagine that the ultime is going to last well into a second day.

In bottle: The patchouli is very strong in the ultime version, at least in the bottle. This scent smells similar to several BPALs I've tried before, but I prefer Alkemia's fruit notes.

On skin: Very berry forward but also woodier than the extrait, in my experience. Still very sexy and witchy. I don't actually get any of the patchouli on the skin.

Verdict: 5 witches eating blackberries out of 5.

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

Preliminary notes: It's been a while since I've bought a rum scent! Mixing rum with caramel and honey just sounds so decadent and delicious.

In bottle: It's surprising to me that there isn't a patchouli note listed, because I swear it's there waaay in the background. Largely though, it's all about the honey musk and caramel. Maybe a tiny bit of rum.

On skin: Still shocked about there not being a patchouli note. I get something kind of bright on the skin, which I'm assuming is a combination of the honey and rum. It reminds me a bit of Caveau des Innocents mixed with Sweet Sorcery. Amber Witch is primarily slightly spiced caramel and a bit of a boozy edge (and hidden patchouli). It's very dry and a bit sweet. There's something a bit fennel-y peeking out from behind everything else as well.

As it dries, it smells remarkably like Caveau but a bit sweeter.

Verdict: 4.25 witches eating spiced caramels spiked with rum out of 5.

Dia de los Muertos (Spiced white cacao, vanilla orchids, confectionary sugar skulls, vetiver root, chrysanthemum, mandarin peel, ziricote wood)

Preliminary notes: Yesss. I have been waiting for Alkemia to either re-release or release a new Dia de los Muertos scent for years, and they finally did it. I'm very, very excited about this one.

In bottle: Another one that reminds me of something else that I can't pinpoint. Wait, no. It reminds me of Deep Midnight's Sweet Calavera, which I guess makes sense. This smells very fresh and airy in the bottle. I get the spiced white cacao, the vetiver, presumably the chrysanthemum, and something green. I quite like this.

On skin: I get the white cacao, some sort of floral note (at this point, I can't tell if it's the orchids, the chrysanthemums, or both since it's very well blended), and something cool and green. I do get sweetness as well, which I'm assuming is the sugar skull note. I don't get any of the mandarin peel, vetiver, or wood. The mandarin peel comes out a tiiiny bit a few hours in, but it's very faint. It still reminds me of Deep Midnight's Sweet Calavera, but this is drier and not quite as sweet.

Verdict: 4.5 skulls wearing flower crowns out of 5.

Kitten and the Falling Leaves (Soft, sleek fur romping through dried oak, beech, and maple leaves on a crisp autumn day)

Preliminary notes: So this scent has two descriptions: the original one above, and a more vague description that just mentions warm fur and leaves. I opted for the more descriptive one, because I'd like to actually know which kind of leaves are in there (not that I know what beech leaves smell like anyway, but still).

In bottle: Definitely woodland-y, and also slightly aquatic? I have no idea where that's coming from. I don't get fur or anything animalic from this at all. Instead, it smells like a culmination of forest tree leaves and maybe a bit of water. This, yet again, reminds me of something.

On skin: I think the aquatic aspect is coming from white amber, which might be part of the fur accord. It's got some sweetness to it. The leaves become ever so slightly camphorous upon close sniff, but mostly, it's just a really nice, slightly sweet autumnal leaf scent. It's elegant and refined, and brings to mind images of an elven queen wearing a white gown/robe, wandering through woodlands dotted with trees that have turned orange and yellow and are just about to shed their leaves. Not the kind of mental imagery I was expecting, but definitely not one that I'd complain about, either.

Verdict: 4.25 autumnal elf queens out of 5.

Cidre d'Automne (Freshly pressed varietal fall apples delicately blended with subtle autumnal spices)

Preliminary notes: Ah, yes. I've been wanting an apple cider scent for years and haven't found one that suits the mood yet.

In bottle: Yup, that's apple cider alright. The apple is nice and fresh and not overly artificial.

On skin: Largely the same, though there's a very slight waxy quality to it on the skin. I don't think this is my perfect apple cider scent (nothing has beaten SS's Riverside Hayride yet), but it is quite nice and spicy. "Subtle spices" is kind of inaccurate, at least on my skin. The spices are quite present.

Verdict: 2.75 spicy, slightly plasticky hot apple ciders out of 5. That weird waxy note stays throughout and kind of ruins this for me, unfortunately. I received a sample of Pi in the Sky in one of my orders this month (review coming soon), and I much prefer that for a spicy apple scent that doesn't go waxy/plasticky.

Dusk in Autumn (Amberwood, Lapsang Souchong tea, salted cream caramel, spiced teacakes)

Preliminary notes: This one has been on my radar since it came out, much like others in this review. I love tea notes, I love caramel notes, and I love bakery notes. This should be a hit.

In bottle: This is fairly faint in the bottle. I get something that smells a bit like apple spice and maybe a bit of cake.

On skin: This one is bizarre. I don't know what was going on, but I was borderline anosmic to it as soon as it hit the skin. Once it sat for a while, I could actually smell it. I get smoky, spicy caramel and maybe a tiny bit of tea as it melds with my skin. I will say, this probably has the most true-to-life caramel note out of all the Alkemia scents I've tried with caramel notes in them. It's delicious. It smells like eating soft, gently spiced cakes topped with a heavy caramel drizzle with small cups of tea on the side. The tea comes out more as the oil wears, so it becomes almost like a cup of tea with a spoonful of caramel in it.

Verdict: 4.75 autumnal tea parties out of 5. I'm hoping that weird pseudo-anosmia thing goes away once it ages a bit. Other than that, I adore this. It's a lovely, caramel-heavy autumnal gourmand.

Autumnalis (Sunlight-warmed autumn leaves, maple wood, wild morel fungi, silver birch tar, slightly soapy wood musk, crushed hayscent ferns, autumn crocus saffron, dry golden amber, dried oakmosses, a touch of vetiver root)

Preliminary notes: My first review of Autumnalis was in 2018, and all I remember about it was that it was pretty soapy. I remember liking it a lot, though. I needed something to fill out the 3 for $45 extrait deal, and I figured I'd try this again and see how it fits my tastes now.

In bottle: Not nearly as soapy as I remember! It really is an olfactive picture of an autumn day in a forest clearing.

On skin: So while this is soapy, it's not the kind of soapy that I usually hate. It really does smell like sunbeams pouring through the trees in a forest during autumn. I don't get the fungi note, but I get just about everything else. It's lovely and comforting. If you like Feuillemort, you might like this if you can handle the soapy quality.

Verdict: 5 autumnal forests dappled with sunlight (and a few soap bubbles) out of 5. I loved this years ago, and I love it now. Sometimes smelling like soap isn't such a bad thing.

Smoke & Mirrors (Burning wood, Madagascar vanilla, tonka)

Preliminary notes: I already know I love this. This was just a repurchase of a very old bottle that's now past its prime, but I realized I'd never properly reviewed it before.

In bottle: I mean, what you see is what you get with this one. It's burning wood, smoke, and vanilla/tonka. It's fairly simple, but very effective and evocative of real bonfires.

On skin: Smoky, vanillic goodness. The last bottle of this that I had was more smoke-heavy, but it had also aged a few years, so I'm hoping the same happens with this. This new bottle is more woody, but the smokiness is still there.

Verdict: 5 vanilla-scented bonfires out of 5.

Calaveras de Azucar (Hauntingly sweet sugar skulls nestled against a backdrop of sugared white ambers)

Preliminary notes: This was a no-brainer. I love things centering around Dia de los Muertos, I love sweet scents, and I love Alkemia's white amber note.

In bottle: White amber, white amber, and more white amber. There's a dry sweetness underneath it, and maybe a tiiiiny bit of a smoky tinge.

On skin: The same white amber from Ghost Fire and The Magpie's Rhyme but with added sweetness and something that's a tiny bit sharp. The sharpness smells almost green, despite there not being any green notes listed. There's a very faint, almost spicy note in there as well.

Verdict: 4 sugar skulls out of 5. I'm curious to see how this one ages in regard to the surprise spice/green notes in there.

Trick or Treat (Black licorice, mandarin orange peel, caramelized brown sugar, bourbon vanilla, candied ginger, tonka bean, blonde patchouli, cedar tips, oakmoss, sandalwood)

Preliminary notes: So this was part of Alkemia's Halloween gift bag, and in looking at past notes, I apparently disliked it. I have no recollection of smelling it, so we'll see how my tastes have changed.

In bottle: Well, I can say right away that I don't understand why I didn't like this years ago (though I received my initial sample in a swap, and it was very obviously old, so it may have gone bad by that point). I get the patchouli and mandarin peel right off the bat, and maybe a touch of oakmoss. No licorice or anything sweet.

On skin: Okay, so. I either had a bad sample years ago, or my tastes have changed astronomically, because this is lovely. It's still mostly mandarin and patchouli, but I get some of the licorice and caramelized brown sugar as well. Something about it smells relatively mainstream, which isn't surprising for an Alkemia scent (which isn't a bad thing). The orange gives it a bit of a Christmas feel as well, which is something that DH had mentioned when he smelled it too. I'm not super into wearing citrus scents, but the mandarin peel note blends so well into the patchouli that it's actually kind of magical. Before I'm finished with the orange, it morphs into patchouli, which then morphs into something else. This is a very well-blended scent. It's a delightful, earthy, unisex fall-into-winter scent. I may have to get the ultime version in the future.

Verdict: 4.75 trick or treating excursions out of 5.

All Hallow's Eve Alchemy (Freshly toasted vanilla marshmallows, black licorice, candied fennel seeds, smoky caramel amber, brown sugar pralines, tonka, benzoin resin, copper distilled patchouli)

Preliminary notes: I have two of the previous All Hallow's Eve scents (2020 and 2021. I had 2019 at one point as well), and I'm curious to how this compares.

In bottle: This smells.. boozy? I don't get any sweet or smoky notes from this at all in the bottle, and I have no idea what smells like booze in here. I get a bit of the licorice/fennel if I try really hard, but mostly booze.

On skin: This is relatively heavy on the patchouli and licorice/fennel. I can make out a bit of the amber and maybe a tiny bit of the marshmallows, but this is in no way a marshmallow-forward scent. It's more similar to AHE 2021 than it is to 2020 but they're still very different. This one is smokier and spooky. Weirdly enough, this also kind of reminds me of Caveau des Innocents a little bit.

Verdict: 4 foreboding Halloween nights out of 5.

Comparison to All Hallow's Eve 2020 and 2021: 2020 is heavy on the bonfire and smoke notes for me. There's a bit of sweetness, but it's mostly a bonfire scent. 2021 is more about the sugary notes (specifically marshmallow) but still relatively smoky.

Holly and Ivy (Tonka, cashmere, balsam pine needles, sugarplums, clove-studded citrus pomanders, roasted apples and black figs, winter roses, anisette, burning bayberry candles, gentleman's pipe tobacco, soft suede)

Preliminary notes: I asked for this instead of September's monthly alchemy, since I don't like pear or quince notes.

In bottle: You know what I'm gonna say. This reminds me of something else, again. I think it's Woods on a Snowy Evening this time, which was my first ever Alkemia scent and is still one of my favorites. The pine needles are very aromatic, and I can't smell anything beneath them at all in the bottle, so it's basically Woods on a Snowy Evening Part 2 in there.

On skin: Basically Woods on a Snowy Evening Part 2 still. I get a very small amount of apple or some other fruit on the end of the inhale, but it's very pine-heavy, which I don't have a problem with. As it dries down, the pine backs off a bit, and some of the fruit notes come forward. I don't get any of the heavier notes, but the tobacco comes out a tiny, tiny bit once it's fully dried down. It also goes through a phase where it smells like berry-scented candles (which makes sense, though I don't know what bayberry smells like). This scent is quite a morpher.

Verdict: 4.25 Christmas trees out of 5. This is a really interesting scent, and I'm sure it'll get a lot of use during the holiday season.

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

DH's preliminary notes: Breakfast.

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

XIII (Dragon's blood, oak barrel-aged Kentucky bourbon, Tahitian vanilla)

In bottle: So I detest Tahitian vanilla usually. It's super cloying and just.. no. But, fortunately, it's not that way in XIII. The dragon's blood is almost floral, and the bourbon note is exquisite. Everything blends together really well.

On skin: The bourbon note burned off pretty quick, and now it's just dragon's blood and vanilla. The vanilla is starting to go down the cloying route, which is disappointing (that's completely due to my preference and is no fault of the scent itself). It's not cloying yet, but it's on the cusp. If it stays tempered enough like this, it'll be fine.

One Sunday Morning (Benzoin, myrrh, frankincense, antique lace, mahogany, blue musk)

In bottle: Clean and almost cologne-y? Definitely leans a bit masculine (which is fine). Warm-but-aquatic is what I’m getting from this.

On skin: Largely the same, but the resins come out a bit more, along with something slightly fruity. Ultimately, I was hoping for more spooky church vibes and not aquatic cologne, but it’s still nice.

Black Mass (Frankincense, myrrh, red wine)

In bottle: Fuck me uuup with that red wine note. It’s the strongest note here, and it’s glorious. I hate wine “in real life,” but I want to drink this.

On skin: This has some goddamned throw, holy shit. I couldn’t smell anything else I was testing from afar except this one. I get a very small amount of myrrh, but it’s mostly a red wine parade. Definitely a fan.

Absinthe (Star anise, wormwood, herbs, warm sugar)

In bottle: Upon first sniff, this has an almost nutty, dirty quality to it. After that, it smells as I’d imagine absinthe should smell (I’ve never had the real thing).

On skin: The nutty vibe goes away, and it just smells like absinthe with a bit of an extra herbal kick. I usually hate anything with anise in it, but this is fabulous.

Hand of Glory (Ambergris, blood red musk, ceremonial santalum)

In bottle: So I’m not gonna lie, something in this reminds me of old newspapers or plastic. It’s a bit musty. I can’t distinguish the notes beyond sandalwood, so basically, musty (and slightly powdery) sandalwood.

On skin: The mustiness goes away, but the powderiness doesn’t. This is a pass for me, I think. I’ll probably give it a retest or two, but I don’t think this works with my chemistry or sense of smell.

The Commandant (Rosewood, bourbon, old chair leather, rich sweet tobacco)

In bottle: Yesss, bathe me in this. Everything is here and accounted for. The rosewood note is beautiful.

On skin: There’s something sweet in here that was slightly detectable in the bottle (the tobacco, I’m assuming), and it’s gorgeous. I knew I was going to like this one, but I didn’t expect to like it quite this much.

Absinthium Noir (Black oak, musk, star anise, warm sugar, black amber, herbs)

In bottle: So this is like, 80% Absinthe and maybe 20% Black Goat, but it’s lovely. Smells a bit peppery as well.

On skin: Pretty much the same as in the bottle. Mostly Absinthe with a bit of Black Goat. Delicious. Since I have both Black Goat and Absinthe, I don’t need this. I prefer each of them on their own anyway, but if you don’t have either, this is definitely worth trying.

Rook (Wet leaves, musky black feathers, vetiver, a stiff branch, the slow death-creep of autumn, a fussy Underworld messenger)

In bottle: Definitely getting vetiver and leaves, and some sort of licorice-like note (anise, I’d wager). There also seems to be something similar to orange blossom lurking in there.

On skin: Largely the same as in the bottle. I can’t decide if I really like this or if it’s just “okay” to me, so I think I’m gonna have to retest this one in a few weeks.

Black Goat (Ancient oak forest, decadent black amber, musk)

Preamble: This was included as a gift with my order, since it was relatively large, and I had asked about when it was going to be restocked shortly after the order was placed. It was very generous of the company to include it, and I’m still blown away.

In bottle: I am so glad Jinx included this. It’s perfect. It smells like a big ol’ sexy, spooky forest, and I’m totally into it.

On skin: There’s something that smells a bit spicy or tea-like in here when it hits the skin and mellows for a while. Maybe a tiny bit of cinnamon and vanilla? Either way, it still smells sexy and expensive. Very glad to have this.

Atmospherics, ahoy! Just like the first part of my SS reviews, most of these were hits.

As usual, favorites are denoted with an asterisk. Solstice Scents’ storefront can be found here. They also stock with Femme Fatale in Australia and Pretty Indulgent in Canada. Both stockists ship internationally, as does Solstice Scents. I've also linked every scent's Indie Scent Library page for the full descriptions.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Longevity: Lasted for over 8 hours.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Longevity: Unfortunately, this became pretty faint after about 5 or 6 hours. It probably had about 5 hours of good wear, and was virtually gone after 7 hours.

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 “Spring AF,” 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.

Salomé* (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.

Bohéme* (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.