Scented Musings

Ahoy! Coming at you with a sneak peek of Alkemia's Winter Wonderlands collection, which will release on November 3rd! I'm very excited to see that Perique tobacco note becoming more common among Alkemia's offerings, and seeing snow/ice and mistletoe notes is also intriguing.

These samples were sent to me for review by Alkemia.

🍒 Cherie (White cherries, golden saffron, vanilla orchid, neroli blossoms, nutmeg, coriander, cedarwood, guaiacwood, ambergris incense)

In vial: Primarily warm cherries and vanilla. It smells very sultry and delicious.

On skin: Largely the same as in the vial, but it brightens up a lot on the skin, probably due to the saffron and neroli. I don't normally vibe with cherry notes, but the one used here is exquisite. It's very slightly floral with a tiny bit of spice, but the cherry and vanilla notes are the stars here, and they're both very warm. It smells like a decadent, freshly baked cherry dessert. It has a sparkling quality to it as well. I'll probably end up upsizing this.

Verdict: 5 cherry desserts out of 5.


🎁 Compliments of the Season (Jasmine, cashmere, warm amber resin, mahogany wood, dried oakmoss, green balsam fir, a sprig of mistletoe)

In vial: Very fresh and green. I can't pick out any individual notes beyond the mistletoe, but it's lovely.

On skin: This is pretty soapy, truth be told, at least initially. The herbs and greenery even it out a bit, but it's very clean. It is quite pretty, that considered. The jasmine is subtle, so I wouldn't regard this as a floral scent. It's cool-toned but also has a bit of warmth underneath, which is really interesting to me. There's something that smells a bit like pillow mints in there as well. Very festive and pretty.

Verdict: 3 holiday soaps out of 5. I do like this, but it's way too clean for me. If you like clean scents though, definitely try this one out.


❄️ Fallen Snow Angels (Creme de vanille, dark patchouli, snowflakes and winter ice)

In vial: This smells delicious. Very creamy vanilla verging on white chocolate, a bit of soft mint, and a tiny bit of patchouli.

On skin: Definitely mint-heavy on the skin, and more herbal than in the vial. It reminds me a bit of For Love of Winter, but this is stronger and more atmospheric. When I read the note description for this, I was wondering how the patchouli would work in here, but it more or less just serves as a grounding herbal note as opposed to "dirty" patchouli or any sort of incense-y vibe. I quite like this. It's very clean as well, which I don't normally love, but it works really well for this scent.

Verdict: 4 minty white chocolate bars out of 5.


🔥 La Cheminée (The Fireplace) (Sparkling spiced cider, brandy, clove-studded lemon slices, smoky vetiver, star anise, Perique tobacco, honeycomb, tonka, soft woods, a worn leather loveseat by the fireplace)

In vial: Primarily cider, with a bit of spice and warmth underneath that. It reminds me of several of Alkemia's autumnal offerings.

On skin: Beautiful cider note with lemon and spices, with the vetiver and tobacco hanging out and providing an edge of smokiness underneath. The honeycomb is present as well. It smells very slightly medicinal, but not in a way that's overwhelming or off-putting. It smells like a hot cider-based drink being sipped near a fireplace, which is exactly what the description says. It's quite nice, and it's very soothing.

Verdict: 4 ciders near the fire out of 5.


✨ Shine Bright My Desire (Golden amber, star jasmine, pink lotus, orchid, patchouli boudoir incense, pink pepper, Ceylon cinnamon, ginger zest, bright verbena)

In vial: Weirdly enough, I don't smell much beyond a bit of incense and the pink pepper.

On skin: The pink pepper and incense are still the strongest, but the amber and a bit of the florals come out more on the skin, along with the other spices. This is a very classic Alkemia scent. It's cozy, warm, and elegant. It smells comforting but also a bit slinky.

Verdict: 4 slinky curls of peppery incense out of 5.


🌟 Stardust (Cream musk, winter-white amber, almond cookies, dried jasmine flowers, white cacao, cool ozone, fresh evergreen boughs, a sprig of mistletoe)

In vial: This is veeery white, shockingly enough. Everything is there and accounted for, with the almond, evergreens, and cacao being the strongest.

On skin: Very similar to how it smells in the vial. The evergreen note in here is stunning. This smells like the imagery of snowflakes and freshly fallen snow. It's minty without being overly so, and it's a very soft, white scent. I adore it. It's cozy and cool at the same time. The almond cookie note reminds me of The Magpie's Rhyme, also.

Verdict: 5 soft snowfalls out of 5.