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 Peppermint Hot Cocoa Review

Brand: Cocoa Pink
Availability: General Catalog Autumn/Winter (N/A in Spring/Summer)
Notes: A steaming mug of creamy hot chocolate infused with a peppermint stick.

First impression out of bottle: Altoid chocolate mints

Freshly applied: Medicinal salve and bandaids

Drydown: Real minty smell coming out now, it was definitely turning medicinal/bandage-y in the opening, but it's sweet and good now. I can detect a hint of chocolate, yes but it's mostly sweet peppermint. This smells like those "chocolate" candy canes that have a bare hint of chocolatey flavor. So I'd say this is a foodie, gourmand mint but it's not a true chocolate mint. 

After several hours: Sweet peppermint with a teensy bit of cocoa. A little watery though. The same way Sixteen92 Grimm is watery-chocolatey on me. 

Longevity: High
Sillage: Low medium

Would an [X] lover love this? Meh, this is a little watery for a true mint lover. Nothng super gourmand OR super fresh/earthy, it's just sort of...there.

Would an [X] hater love this? This is not going to be The Mint Scent that makes you a believer.

Where am I? Sitting in my 7th grade classroom, eating shitty candy canes on the last day before Christmas break. 

Where would I wear this? Daytime, maybe. I wouldn't wear it though, it's not quite punchy or special enough.

Cocoa Pink Buttermint Candy Review

Brand: Cocoa Pink
Availability: General Catalog Autumn/Winter (N/A in Spring/Summer)
Notes: crisp clean peppermint with hints of vanilla bean.

First impression out of bottle: Not super sweet peppermint

Freshly applied: Breathtakingly cold  peppermint. Hint of something a bit plasticky.
Drydown: Still the same cold mint. That feeling you get in your lungs when you're running and it's freezing outside, and it feels like your lungs are icing over. The plastickyness is gone, but unfortunately I don't get a whole lot of vanilla bean. 

Very cold mint...brrr.

After several hours: I get just a hint of the vanilla bean now but it's still quite unsweetened. Definitely not a sugary scent or an ice cream scent. I would say breathmint is an accurate description. Not so much a buttermint, which I think of as sweeter. 

Longevity: High. 
Sillage: Medium high. It really freezes your nostrils when you take a whiff, like real peppermint.

Would an [X] lover love this? Mint lovers might like it, though it's quite plain, so if you have a lot of minty perfumes already, this would only be good for layering purposes or something. I think it could intensify the existing mint notes in any perfumes you own.

Would an [X] hater love this? Mint haters will probably despise this. It's cold and green and bracing- all characteristics of mint they are probably not a fan of.

Where am I? Popping a breathmint on a freezing cold snowy morning.

Where would I wear this? Work, anytime I needed to wake up fast. It's very energizing. It's NOT a candy cane-ish mint, so I would wear this in the spring or summer too. 

Long Winter Farm Unicorn Farts Review

Brand: Long Winter Farm
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: strawberry cotton candy and spearmint

First impression out of bottle: Minty fresh cotton candy

Freshly applied: This is a true perfect blend of pink cotton candy and mint. The mint doesn’t smell like a breath mint, it’s actually fused really well with the cotton candy. I get both the fluffy sugariness and the fresh minty feel. If I breathe it in more deeply, I smell the accurate crystallized spun sugar smell of cotton candy, with a hint of berry sweetness. This reminds me SO MUCH of going to Disney On Ice(!) shows as a little kid. I was obsessed with cotton candy, so I’d always share a cone with my mom, usually I got one of those commemorative character cups/containers to go with it. This smells like the memory of that cotton candy with the briskness of being in the ice skating rink. The mint tempers the cotton candy perfectly and it’s not too sweet. 

Fresh pink cotton candy with some mint

Drydown: Weirdly the smell combines and becomes the exact smell of sweetened adzuki bean paste. I love this smell, but it's certainly a weird impression to get from something as simple as mint/candy. It still smells like I described above, but if you know what red bean paste smells like, you'll think of it too.

Sweet, rich adzuki bean paste

After several hours: Basically the same, but a lot fainter

Longevity: Not very good for a cotton candy scent (which usually last forever on me.) Probably 3 hours at strong sillage, then another 2 hours at whisper-soft throw.
Sillage: At first, medium-high, then dies down to very soft.

Would an [X] lover love this? If you like cotton candy scents, give this a try. It's different from the usual offerings. It's a LOT fruitier than something like Pink Sugar, and less musky/sexy.

Would an [X] hater love this? A cotton candy hater would probably find this too sweet. But if you hate Pink Sugar, you might think this is a little more refreshing and palatable.

Where am I? Ice skating rink, eating cotton candy.

Where would I wear this? This is definitely a daytime scent. It's not too sweet for work, and it would be great in the summer but the mint makes it nice for winter too.

Possets Eine Kleine Nachtmusik Review

Brand: Possets
Availability: Limited Edition (comes back with RETOUR)
Notes: Melon, mint, a schmere of marzipan, smoke, resin

First impression out of bottle: Sugary melon, more round and fluffy smelling than the melon in Possets' Triangulation

Freshly applied: Honeydew with a sort of squeaky-creamy almond marzipan. Oooh I get the barest whiff of beautiful green peppermint if I huff.

Marzipan infused with honeydew and a touch of peppermint

Drydown: Minty marzipan and melon. It smells kind of like…if you made a melon mojito and served it alongside marzipan candies. And that would be the weirdest cocktail party EVER. I had no idea how these notes would meld together, but it works. I don’t get smoke. The mint is now way more apparent, and the marzipan less so. After the initial realistic scent, it gets that pasty/creamy mouthfeel smell of marzipan, without the actual almond note. The mint is lazy, hazy, not super sharp or twinkly like the peppermint in Arcana Astrid’s Diadem. It’s more reminiscent of the patchouli in Wicked but obviously NOT dirty like patchouli. It’s a pure peppermint, but not wet or juicy. It smells like a freshly picked peppermint leaf, but not like a crushed leaf. The melon is hanging in there, yay! It’s a sweet, ripe honeydew note and it blends well with the creaminess and the mint. This reads seriously summer/spring to me, I don’t get any winter feels, but I love it nonetheless. Will get a lot of wear come springtime.

Picture this, plus a bit of creaminess

After several hours: Smooth sugar paste with mint, a hint of honeydew, and the smoke note peeks out. I love how Possets' smoke notes don't come out until later...it reminds me of a dinner party with the candles getting blown out at the end of the night! So cool.

Add a blown-out candle to the sweet mix

Longevity: Medium. For such a fluffy scent, this sticks around admirably. I like that the mint is grounded, so it isn't too fleeting!
Sillage: Medium. 

Would an [X] lover love this? I don't know who to recommend this to! A marzipan lover might be disappointed- the marzipan isn't prominent after the initial application. A mint lover would be a fan, as it's got a delicate peppermint note that I haven't found as long-lasting in other blends! People who love unusual gourmands and fruity scents should give this a whirl.

Would an [X] hater love this? I feel like this is a gourmand scent that isn't TRULY foodie. So gourmand haters might want to test this.

Where am I? At a bizarre dinner party where the host doesn't realize how mismatched their theme is, but somehow everything is delicious.

Where would I wear this? Daytime, work, summer, spring, maybe winter. It's fresh in a bit of a cool way, so I can see this working in winter, but definitely not for autumn, when I'm craving warm and spicy scents.

Solstice Scents Shadows in the Night Review

Brand: Solstice Scents
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: White Amber, Fir, Frankincense, Elemi, Bayberry, Spruce, Amber, Evergreens, Peppermint, Incense, EotN Base

First impression out of bottle: Spruce and something soft and sweet

Freshly applied: The peppermint blends seamlessly with the evergreen notes and I love the sweet, almost fruity feel. It's not a harsh or cold pine scent, it's quite gentle.

Evergreen and bayberry

Drydown: A little less of the round fruity sweetness, more spruce emerges, like you're taking a big whiff of a Christmas tree. But the roundness in the background (which is definitely from the amber and vanilla from the Edge of the Night base) remains and gets a little spicier., but not too literal. This is not foodie, but the gentle vanilla and spice smell like the memory of baked goods.

Quite a gentle pine scent

After several hours: Less green, more soft Edge of the Night (amber, vanilla, spice). Peppermint is a fleeting note, so I'm not surprised it doesn't stick around. The evergreen notes last longer, and though they're not as prominent, the whole thing is still an evergreen-amber. Not pure sweetness, because there's green edge.

Warm golden Christmas tree scent, the faint smell of baked goods

Longevity: A little short-lived, better than bright/grassy green scents, but still not as long-lasting as a sugary vanilla scent. When I wear this I find myself reapplying it, because I love the opening/first hour or two of the scent so much that I want to experience it over and over.
Sillage: Medium-high at first, then low for the majority of its life. I can slather this on and still get a pretty subtle scent. 

Would an [X] lover love this? I think people who are a fan of evergreen scents will like this softer, more feminine take on what is traditionally a masculine family of scents. I personally like everything that Solstice Scents does with amber/vanilla/spice, but I have heard multiple people claim the sweeter blends smell like Christmas candles on them. 

Would an [X] hater love this? Yes, this is a great introduction for a green-hater. I personally count myself as someone who doesn't like vegetal/green scents, so this was a good way to ease my way into the wintry evergreen scents without feeling like I was wearing Winter's Breeze For Men or something. If you like foodie scents and don't see yourself loving woodsy or green ones, try this and you might be surprised how well the spruce notes are incorporated!

Where am I? This is not a foodie scent, but it does remind me of my parents' house at Christmas. A bit of spicy pine cone and spruce from the decorations, mingled with a soft sweet smell like a really high-end fruitcake. This smells like the cold air outside mixed with the warmth from the fire, a Christmas tree, spicy decorative pinecones, and a spread of Christmas cookies in the other room. I adore this scent.

Where would I wear this? I wear this to work and at home. I wear it a lot during the summer actually, although it's also fantastic for the wintertime. I find it's versatile even though it's so Christmassy. The fresh green notes make it light enough for hot weather, and the fact that it's subtle means nobody is sniffing the air and asking why it smells like Christmas.

Arcana Astrid's Diadem Review

Brand: Arcana
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: Madagascar vanilla, Bourbon vanilla, sugared lavender creme, citron, lemongrass, peppermint, and a touch of stately patchouli

First impression out of bottle: Minty lemon with some grassiness

Lemongrass mint dessert, a little creamy and a little fresh

Freshly applied: Initially I get all lavender and peppermint, with a bitter twist of citrus rind. As it dries, I get the paradoxical bright/bitter citrus (smells like lemon juice now) with that herbal/dusty lavender that smells like real lavender buds, with a bit of grassiness of lemongrass and an obvious helping of peppermint. This is such a cool, herbal scent. It’s very fun and confusing to my nose, but at the same time very pleasant. Like your nose CANNOT perceive all the scents at once, so it goes through an arpeggio of lavender, lemon, lemongrass, peppermint before settling onto a bed of sugared vanilla, then back to the beginning. A kind of weird wild ride. I LOVE IT.

Love the bitter citrus twist 

Drydown:  After drying down completely, there’s a more “sugared lavender-peppermint creme” sensation, with the citrus/lemongrass nestled on top. Thank god the patchouli is simply grounding the peppermint. There’s no rubber or mustiness here, just a surprisingly long-lasting mint note. The vanillas are keeping everything swathed in softness. I'm happy that the notes all pop out and this isn’t turning into a same-y vanilla. 

Lavender cream with touches of sparkling peppermint and citron

After several hours: Same thing as the drydown, a sugared lavender cream with some sparkling peppermint and grassy citrus. 

Longevity: High, especially considering that the herbal notes are ones that usually dissipate quickly. This lasts more than 6 hours on me. The patchouli extends the mint notes, in my opinion.
Sillage: Very high at first, remains fairly good throughout the life

Would an [X] lover love this? I think anyone who likes herbal notes and vanillas needs this scent. It's super unusual and funky. It's a bit cacophonous at first, but it dries down into something just as charming and probably more wearable.

Would an [X] hater love this? I think someone who vehemently hated vanilla might still be ok with this. It's not a syrupy or overly sweet vanilla. If you don't like lemongrass or peppermint, it will be a nonstarter. Lavender haters might be surprised though, as the lavender is used very subtly here.

Where am I? In a spotless white kitchen with Ina Garten, making eight different types of meringues and creams at once.

Where would I wear this? Work, weekend, sleep. Not for a night out, too playful and zesty. But I think this can work well as a winter perfume (it has a frozen, ice creamy feel) and also it's refreshing enough to be great in hot weather.