NAVA Polichenelle Review

Brand: NAVA
Availability: General Catalog

Notes: Warm Woody Clove Smoke, Vanilla Bean & Marshmallow Extract, Indian Kewda Attar Incense, Amber and White Musk

First impression out of bottle: Damp woodsmoke, wood, and clove


Freshly applied: Wet, very sweet clove syrup and smoke

Drydown: As the perfume dries, the scent "dries out" too. Instead of being so wet and syrupy, this becomes a little rougher like split wood sprinkled with spices. The incense complements the sweetness but isn't the star player. The smoke is there grounding the clove, but it's not a HEY SMOKE scent. The marshmallow plays with the vanilla and it's got this sweet fluffy foodie thing that's so lovely without being sickly.

Imagine this, but laden with sticky clove syrup

After several hours: Sweet, fluffy clove with a lovely spiced wood background

Longevity: High
Sillage: High

Would an [X] lover love this? Anyone who likes spice, especially clove, really needs this. It's a fresh/different take on a spice that has been done to death in a million holiday/foodie scents.

Would an [X] hater love this? I think even someone who shies away from spice will find this perfume wearable. The wood, smoke, and sweetness are all perfectly mingled with the dark, mysterious clove. This doesn't smell cliché or like anything you've smelled before.

Where am I? Toasting marshmallows in the wilderness and smelling clove cigarettes on the cold breeze.

Where would I wear this?  This is one of those awesome perfumes that would work well in cold or warm weather. I could wear this for a nighttime event because it's sexy and bold, but it's not too spicy or brash, so I can wear this for daytime too. Especially because the smoke is so delicate and wouldn't make anyone think I'm burning toast.

Cocoa Pink Genevieve Review

Brand: Cocoa Pink
Availability: Fall/Winter 2015 (N/A during Spring/Summer)
Notes: Sweet milk, bourbon vanilla, sandalwood, burning sage & smoke

First impression out of bottle: Milk and toasted smoothness.

Freshly applied: Same toast-y milk scent with the bite of dried green sage. The sage is very warm and earthy here- not savory like turkey stuffing but herbal and clean like a witch's kitchen. A bit of tartness like Ava Luxe Milk (tart in a dairy way, not unpleasantly sour though.)

The sage here is not burnt in a blackened way, but pleasantly warm

Drydown: More smooth toastiness now, like if you could have toasted rice krispie treats floating in a pool of cream. Really creamy and lush but not sugary. Love the pop of sage here. The smoke note is not super strong, it’s like a wisp of gray kitchen smoke. I love that this has a toasted scent without smelling burnt or woodsy. It's very light, soft, and clean, while having a pleasant earthy substance.

After several hours: Same but faded to a faintly smoky and sweet white skin scent.

Longevity: High
Sillage: Medium at first, then fades to a low but persistent skin scent after a few hours. Better throw and longevity than something like Caramel Popcorn Balls, which is weaker and softer.

Would an [X] lover love this? I think gourmand lovers would adore this. If you like herbs of any sort or faintly smoky scents, this is perfect.

Would an [X] hater love this? I think even people who shy away from milky scents and find they go sour will love it- this is so pleasant and inoffensively creamy

Where am I? Eating rice krispie treats in a witch's kitchen.

Where would I wear this? Daytime, work, weekend. It feels very warm and cozy for autumn, but I could wear it year round, honestly. 

Deconstructing Eden Alice in Wonderland Review

Brand: Deconstructing Eden
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: Candied lemon peel and sugared violet and rose petals

First impression out of bottle: Floral marshmallows

Freshly applied: Floral marshmallows with a citrus twist

Pretty much exactly this

Drydown: Powdered sugar with a hint of flowers and lemon. This is a really great floral gourmand. I like it far better than Solstice Scents Violet Mallow, which is insanely sharp and a bit grassy on the opening. This is like the slightly purpler version of Solstice Scents Rose Mallow Cream. But where that has a very vanilla-marshmallow quality, this is more like powdered sugar marshmallow fluff. The violet is quiet and very well behaved here. It's melded with the rose into some sort of fantasy flower that smells like both and neither. 

Something fluffy and powdery (in a good way)

After several hours: Sweet powdered sugar and flowers with a gooooorgeous sweet candy lemon. The violet becomes way more "violet"y after drying down more and smells a bit purplish. Still well-behaved, but the scent reminds me of those violet candies from Italy. More violet than rose on the drydown.

Such a sweet, perfect lemon

Longevity: High
Sillage: Medium

Would an [X] lover love this? Gourmand lovers would really like it. I think fans of Solstice Scents' Mallow blends will enjoy this different spin on a candied floral scent. There's really no vanilla in this, which I think makes it different and interesting. Violet lovers will enjoy the tamed and lovely violet.

Would an [X] hater love this? Gourmand haters will probably find this too fluffy. Violet-haters (I count myself among you) will probably actually be fine with it. The violet is totally tolerable and not sharp or grassy. It actually works with the scent instead of competing with the other notes, which is often something I dislike about violets.

Where am I? Having an elegant tea party with a bunch of rich children

Where would I wear this? Daytime, afternoon, girl's day out, weekend. It's a bit too sweet for work, but it's perfect to wear out shopping or something. Springy/summery. 

Sixteen92 Spellbound Review

Brand: Sixteen92
Availability: Fall Collection 2015 (Limited Edition)
Notes: Creamed pumpkin, spiced bourbon & Tahitian vanillas, sticky marshmallow fluff

First impression out of bottle: Buttery pumpkin

Freshly applied: Pillowy pumpkin churros

Drydown: Same fried, golden churro goodness. Definite orange pumpkin-y feel but with generous cinnamon-sugar. 

Mmm, pumpkin churros

After several hours: Creamy, cinnamony pumpkin. This reminds me of of Alkemia's Pumpkin Strumpet but where that one is more pumpkin-spiced-cream, this is pumpkin-fried-dough. 

Longevity: Medium high
Sillage: On the low end of medium. It's not dismal but it's not as pungent as I like my gourmand scents.

Would an [X] lover love this? I think someone who enjoys any pumpkin scents or gourmands will like this! It's a very basic pumpkin gourmand, but it gets that fried dough smell PERFECTLY.

Would an [X] hater love this? I think gourmand haters might be ok with it, seeing as it's very light and inoffensive, but if you hate buttery perfumes or anything with cinnamon, stay away.

Where am I? Frying up some fall-themed doughnuts

Where would I wear this? Daytime, autumn, winter, weekend. I love this scent but it's not quite pungent or spicy enough for nighttime. 

Cocoa Pink Caramel Popcorn Balls Review

Brand: Cocoa Pink
Availability: General Catalog Autumn/Winter (N/A in Spring/Summer)
Notes: Melted marshmallow buttery caramel popcorn balls, a delicious Halloween treat sure to evoke memories of childhood.

First impression out of bottle: Butter and alcohol

Freshly applied: Salty butter and fruity candy like Pez or Sweet Tarts

Drydown: Toasted, almost woodsy marshmallows with a hint of savoryness. Not butter, but more like Rice Krispies. Not a gooey caramel scent, more fluffy, toasty, and golden.

After several hours: Lovely soft marshmallow with a hint of toasted savory flavor. I like this and it's nowhere near as buttery or weird as I expected. Not caramel-y though.

Definitely smells like these guys.

Longevity: Medium
Sillage: Low-medium

Would an [X] lover love this? I don't own it but from what I've heard, this could be similar to HoG Ghost Puffs. If you enjoy slightly kooky gourmands you will like this. 

Would an [X] hater love this? Gourmand hater or someone who picks up on buttery/salty notes to an extreme might find this weird. But then again as it's in EDP format I think the buttery popcorn notes will be very chilled out in general, even on people with wacky skin chemistry.

Where am I? Eating Rice Krispie treats at a Girl Scouts meeting after school.

Where would I wear this? Daytime, weekend. This is a little subtle for me for wintertime, when I prefer heavy spiced scents, but it could be good for the summer.

Cocoa Pink Marshmallow Fireside Review

Brand: Cocoa Pink
Availability: General Catalog Autumn/Winter (N/A in Spring/Summer)
Notes: Toasted vanilla marshmallows over a roaring fire.  An excellent rendition of BBW's version

First impression out of bottle: Sweet

Freshly applied: Sweet vanilla woodsmoke

Drydown: Beautiful dark wood and marshmallow scent. Less of a burnt-mallow scent and less earthy than SS Smoky Mountain Mallow. More like resinous wood and a hint of perfumey smoke combined with sweet marshmallow. Just like a slightly smoked version of Black Marshmallow.

After several hours: Resinous woods and a floof of marshmallowy smoke.

Longevity: High
Sillage: Medium high

Would an [X] lover love this? I have a gotta catchem all mentality when it comes to marshmallow scents. I think this is an awesome woodsy smoky marshmallow that isn't too heavy on the smoke. If you like marshmallow blends definitely try this.

Would an [X] hater love this? If you hate marshmallow/vanilla but love woodsy/smoky scents you might like what's going on here. There's some magic that combines the disparate notes and harmonizes them. I think even people who generally dislike food smells will appreciate this. It's kind of elegant and subtle.

Where am I? Putting on my jacket that I wore the night before to make s'mores.

Where would I wear this? Definitely would wear this at night as it's sexy and a bit smoky and assertive. I would also wear this during the day though. The woods and marshmallow are easy to wear.

Cocoa Pink Bonfire Pumpkins Review

Brand: Cocoa Pink
Availability: General Catalog Autumn/Winter (N/A in Spring/Summer)
Notes: This scent started out as an accident then turned into my personal all time favorite scent.  This year I decided to share.  We accidentally mixed Pumpkin porridge with Marshmallow Fireside and created a sensational creamy bonfire scent with notes of maple oats drizzled with pure golden clover honey, a pinch of muscovado sugar all topped with a dollop of sugared pumpkin puree plus toasted vanilla marshmallows over a roaring fire.  This is a smoky scent.

First impression out of bottle: Smoky maple sugar

Freshly applied: Sweet smoky maple candy

Mmmm soft maple candy

Drydown: Pumpkin comes out to play and mingles with the maple scent over a soft note of oats/general gourmandy sweetness. Honestly not all that smoky. I was expecting more BONFIRE but it's nicely woven into the food notes. This smells more like the "cooked" warm smell of freshly made breakfast food, not the smell of a bonfire. There's a tad bit of creamy gray smoke, but it's not an acrid smell. 

After several hours: Sweet mapley pumpkin porridge.

Longevity: High
Sillage: Medium

Would an [X] lover love this? Pumpkin/maple/fall gourmand lovers will adore this. 

Would an [X] hater love this? Maple haters won't like it. Anyone who despises oatmeal type scents will probably dislike it. But it's not gooey or cloying, so who knows. I find this to be a nice balance of sweet and earthy, though it's definitely MORE foodie than earthy.

Where am I? Sitting in a log cabin, eating pumpkin porridge by the fire.

Where would I wear this? For fall type activities, at night at home, to work, out and about on the weekends. It's a perfect cozy scent with something special.

Cocoa Pink Marshmallow Candy Cane Noel Review

Brand: Cocoa Pink
Availability: General Catalog Autumn/Winter (N/A in Spring/Summer)
Notes: made with marshmallow sugar and vanilla bean noel, it has real spearmint & peppermint oils

First impression out of bottle: Sweetened, warm peppermint (warm, like, not bracing and fresh like Buttermint)

Freshly applied: Peppermint with a hint of caramel

Drydown: Now this is what I wanted from Buttermint. Good thing I got both! The peppermint and spearmint are complemented by the beautiful smooth caramel-vanilla of Vanilla Bean Noel. This is a sugary peppermint smell. Sort of like peppermint Torani syrup that you'd put in a coffee.

Maybe you also put peppermint schnapps in your coffee, I don't know your life

After several hours: Still fluffy caramel-vanilla peppermint. Mmm I love this one. One of the best uses for the awesome Vanilla Bean Noel note. Super Christmassy and festive.

Longevity: High
Sillage: High

Would an [X] lover love this? Anybody who likes sweet mint scents will find this excellent, although it may be a bit plain if you are  used to the fanciful Arcana peppermint perfumes that combine different herbal and food smells with the herb. This is straightforward.

Would an [X] hater love this? I don't think a mint hater would love this...there's no plastic or weirdness in here, so maybe if they were just a mint lover in disguise and didn't realize it yet?

Where am I? Asking for a double shot of peppermint syrup in my coffee at Starbucks

Where would I wear this? Work, parties, to decorate the Christmas tree. Daytime or night. Definitely great for the holidays, but I could probably wear this in warmer weather if I ignored the candy-cane-ish-ness.

Cocoa Pink Black Marshmallow Review

Brand: Cocoa Pink
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: You love sweet things like sugar cubes and white lace. But sometimes you need to be a little naughty. Try this new "foodie sexy" blend of sweet marshmallow fluff and rich ambers for a dessert you won't forget.

First impression out of bottle: Dark alcohol and amber

Freshly applied: BLACK amber, like something dark and sweet, mixed with the more fluffy marshmallow note that Cocoa Pink is famous for.

Drydown: Still the same sexy amber marshmallow blend. I don't know how to describe Black. Alone it's a little plain but I really like it here blended with marshmallows. It's a little sexy, not too sweet, and not "spicy" as such. It reminds me of how your hair smells after sex if both partners smell really good/have perfume on. Like this intangible, mingled sexy sweet smell. But it's like 30% amber 70% marshmallow even at the beginning. 

After several hours: Same, but even less amber and more fluffy marshmallow.

Longevity: High
Sillage: Medium, a little lower than my other Cocoa Pink marshmallow scents.

Would an [X] lover love this? Marshmallow lovers NEED IT. Rarely do you find a "dark" marshmallow that doesn't incorporate smoke or wood notes. This is that slightly deepened but still fluffy and sweet  marshmallow. 

Marshmallow with a hint of darkness

Would an [X] hater love this? Marshmallow haters (who are you people, even??) will probably not enjoy this, or find it too plain. 

Where am I? Eating marshmallows after sex.

Where would I wear this? Daytime, hot weather, cold weather. Probably not out at night because the "sexiness" of this perfume is still very light. It's predominantly marshmallow. 

Cocoa Pink Marshmallow Pumpkin Review

Brand: Cocoa Pink
Availability: General Catalog Autumn/Winter (N/A in Spring/Summer)
Notes: Sweet pumpkin blended with our wonderfully light and airy marshmallow.

First impression out of bottle: Marshmallow

Freshly applied: A hint of pillowy spice and fluffy marshmallow

Drydown: Beautiful fluffy light pumpkin bread. Not too overly spiced, but very gourmand and sweet. I love Cocoa Pink's marshmallow blends, they really capture that fluffy mallow feel without relying heavily on sugar or vanilla. This smells a lot like Cinderella's Carriage, only a bit stronger.

After several hours: Same light, pumpkin bread/cake-y marshmallow. Ultimate drydown is plain fluffy marshmallow.

Like pumpkin cake with marshmallow frosting

Longevity: High. Cocoa Pink EDP's last forever on skin and even longer on clothing, like for multiple days. 
Sillage: High

Would an [X] lover love this? A gourmand/pumpkin lover would adore this. It's perfectly spiced if you don't like heavy fall spices, and it gives the impression of a brown toasty treat without relying on cinnamon or clove to punch you in the face. Goes without saying a marshmallow lover needs this too.

Would an [X] hater love this? Pumpkin-haters might enjoy this lighter take on the theme. Gourmand haters will not enjoy- it's straightforward with no earthy/atmospheric notes. Plain delicious pumpkin cake.

Where am I? Baking cupcakes before settling down to an abc family Harry Potter marathon.

Where would I wear this? To do the above, or pretty much any fall-ish activity. Great for work or chilling on the weekends. A little fluffy and innocent for date night/night out activities though.

Possets Churpz Review

Brand: Possets
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: Named after the marshmallow chicks so common at this time of year, Churpz is all fluffy puffy fun and nothing instructive, corrective, or refined. Churpz is simple all-out pleasure in things which are sweet and gooey and a mental orgasm (ed: translation- marshmallow)

First impression out of bottle: Plasticky sweetness

Freshly applied: Plasticky sweetness

Drydown: The plastic calms down and I get a really fluffy marshmallow- really just like the classic Peeps smell. Not a sophisticated, expensive vanilla marshmallow, but a puffy grocery store treat. There's almost the suggestion of fake food coloring- that not quite sweet not quite bitter trace smell. Interesting!

After several hours: Same plain synthetic (in a good way) marshmallow sweetness.

Longevity: Low
Sillage: Low- this scent barely has any throw at all

Would an [X] lover love this? A marshmallow lover might want to have this in their collection, but with the paltry throw and longevity, I'm not sure it does much for me. 

Would an [X] hater love this? I don't think even a marshmallow hater would be offended by this, because it's so damn subtle. But they wouldn't want to wear it I don't think.

Where am I? Opening a box of Peeps on Easter morning.

Where would I wear this? I wouldn't wear it unless I wanted to apply a perfume and not be able to smell it.

Solstice Scents Buttered Rum Mallow

Brand: Solstice Scents
Availability: Winter Limited Edition (recurring)
Notes: Rum, Marshmallow, Nutmeg, Cardamom, Clove, Butter, Cinnamon, Vanilla, Brown Sugar & All Spice

First impression out of bottle: Sharp buttery caramel, a little like butterscotch

Freshly applied: Spicy and boozy caramel

Dark rich caramel

Drydown: This smooths out when it dries down. What was a slightly sharp, almost cat piss-y screaming sweet note is now decadent burnt caramel. It smells like caramel that was cooked a touch too long, swirled with deep spiced rum, and dropped onto a mount of vanilla ice cream.

Dark caramel over smooth vanilla ice cream

After several hours: The most prominent note is a voluptuous, crazy beautiful marshmallow vanilla cream note. Smells like ice cream, marshmallow fluff, and vanilla all swirled together. A teensy bit of caramel sauce is left, but not as much as before. Still boozy, but maybe slightly less, like all the alcohol has burned off. Still very deep and spicy.

Longevity: AMAZING longevity, I washed my hands multiple times throughout the day after applying the teensiest dab of this around 11 am, and it was still VERY apparent late into the night.
Sillage: VERY HIGH. Oh god how I love the throw on this perfume. A guy on the street smelled it on me from a yard away, no lie, and complimented the scent. He thought I had some delicious baked goods in my car.

Would an [X] lover love this? A gourmand lover would be all over this. It's spicy and rich, and sweet. Not at all generic.

Would an [X] hater love this? I think a gourmand hater would be overwhelmed by this. In fact I hated it when I first bought it a few years ago, as it was too strong. Now that I embrace the sugar and spice and everything nice, I love it to bits.

Where am I? In a candy factory, brewing up some special Autumn/Winter treats

Where would I wear this? Duh everywhere. I wore it to work today, and I'd certainly wear it for a night out. I'd definitely wear this to a party/around a lot of people because I'm a shameless whore for compliments, and I'd get a kick out of people sniffing me and telling me how nice I smell all night.

Haus of Gloi Sweet Potato Treat Review

Brand: Haus of Gloi
Availability: Limited Edition/Reverie/Winter
Notes: Sweet potatoes with mild spices, butter and brown sugar baked off with marshmallows

First impression out of bottle: Syrupy sweet squash with brown sugar

Freshly applied: Mmm coconut flakes, pecans, butter, brown sugar, and spice

Drydown: Same as first impression/fresh application, but with more sweet potato. Really smells like a sweet potato casserole, creamy purée under a crispy topping.

After several hours: The complexity of the brown sugar and nutty notes fades, and you end up with a nice, buttery spiced sweet scent. This turns more generic after a while, but the first few hours are great.

Longevity: High, but the ultimate drydown is a lot more simplistic than the initial one
Sillage: High, the spice notes are especially noticeable. 

Would an [X] lover love this? I think a spicy gourmand lover would really go for this. It's a tad unusual with the nuts and butter, so it's not just your average pumpkin spice type scent. However, it does fade into something more generic, so if you have a zillion fall spicy gourmands, this wouldn't be an absolute must.

Would an [X] hater love this? A spicy gourmand hater would probably dislike this quite a bit. I think it can come off as sickly sweet, and I don't believe there's much in here that would change your mind or surprise you if you hate these types of autumnal sweet scents.

Where am I? I'm toasting the topping for my aunt's sweet potato casserole at Thanksgiving. I'm sneaking bites of the crunchy bits and using a spatula to smooth out the sweet potato purée before I pop it back in the oven.

Where would I wear this? I would wear this at Thanksgiving so I don't clash. No but really, I see this as a cozy, homey scent to wear in bed or while watching movies. I would wear this out and about on the weekend during the fall or winter. It's a bit too homey/rich for work, though I can see my coworkers going gaga for this scent.