Comparison Post: Pumpkin #7 vs. Golden Morning

In comparison posts, I compare indie scents with similar notes lists. This allows me to cull my collection so that I have no repeats, and it may also be helpful for other people to decide which sounds most appealing.

The Contestants: 

Nocturne Alchemy Pumpkin #7 (Amber Pumpkin perfumed with 7 rich exotic Amber notes to create the ultimate Amber perfume base for this Pumpkin infused scent. Spices of fig and raw pumpkin swim in a vat of decadent Sandalwood)

Cocoa Pink Golden Morning (Cool vanilla wrapped around honeyed, pale pumpkin gently grounded with white oak, tonka bean finished with the barest hint of copal.)

Scent Characteristics: P#7 is woodsy, smooth, pale, and warm like a house with a fire crackling in the hearth. It's more sweet-wood than sticky-resin, and the amber notes here are powdery and dry like finished wood, and they complement the sandalwood perfectly. Tiny bit of spice, but not edible spice. This is a slightly fresh smell, like fresh pumpkin and sawn wood, but not "raw" smelling. GM is syrupy, resinous, and slinky. It's mostly a very golden, sticky honey note with complementary deeper resinous wood notes. The pumpkin is there, smooth and non-spicy, but like cooked pumpkin purée.  

How similar are they?: Not very. P#7 is a lot subtler and more neutral. GM is vivacious, sexy, and sweet. P#7 makes me think of a buttoned-up but pretty librarian, and GM is her younger sister who dresses very scandalously. They're related but they don't really resemble each other. They do share a common pale, sweet, smooth pumpkin note that's delicious in both, and the wood pops out of both, but it's made more dry in P#7 and more wet/sticky in GM.

Sillage: Both have very good sillage. Something that's characteristic of NAVA ambers in particular is that they will strengthen the more they sit on your skin. Sometimes I can't smell a NAVA amber when I first apply, then 10 minutes later, it's surrounding me and filling my nostrils. I will say it's hard to overdo a NAVA Amber, and P#7 is no exception. It's so pale and smooth that it never screams, even if you overapply. On the other hand, GM's big honey note has POW sillage and really wraps itself around you immediately. You can overdose easily, especially as it's a sweet scent, so best to apply sparingly. I love strongly-scented perfumes, so I'm definitely ok with that, but use caution.

Longevity: Both have great longevity. P#7 lasts 8-10 hours, no problem, but it does dry down into a more subtle skin scent thereafter. GM will last until you wash it off, or 36-48 hours, whichever comes first. 

Destashing any?: Nope, they are different and both lovely. GM is the perfect cold-weather sexy scent. Not too foodie, but just sweet enough. P#7 is an amazing daytime scent, and even though it's a pumpkin one, it's not so bold as to be an autumn-only scent. 

Solstice Scents Pumpkin Spice Latte Review

Brand: Solstice Scents
Availability: Fall Limited Edition (Recurring)
Notes: Hot steaming coffee, sweet pumpkin, cinnamon, gingerbread whipped cream and a drop of Nutmeg

First impression out of bottle: Savory coffee beans and spice

Freshly applied: Deep earthy coffee with a background of beautiful dark spice cake

Autumn perfection.

Drydown: Gingerbread muffin with a bit of brown sugar crust, yummy milky coffee, and a touch of fluffy whipped cream. I love autumn, but IDGAF about PSL's in general. I don't drink them nowadays or remember what they smell like (though I can guess) but this is heavenly. The coffee essential oil is like true dark coffee, not like the plasticky cold scent I get from Cafe Mallowmel. It's sweetened up by the gingerbread/cake notes and a dusting of scrumptious, non-generic fall spice. Not too sugary and definitely deepened by the coffee.

Such a great gourmand coffee scent

After several hours: Gingerbread with a hint of coffee and a lot of marshmallow-y vanilla cream. The whipped cream note gets stronger and it's gorgeously creamy and edible, like the light notes in Solstice Scents' many Mallow blends. The strongest spice note to me is nutmeg, with some cinnamon but no anise/cardamom/clove which means this is NOT a chai-type scent at all!

Amazing combo of dark cakey and light fluffy gourmand notes

Longevity: High
Sillage: Medium

Would an [X] lover love this? I think anyone who enjoys spicy or gourmand scents will ADORE THIS. I blind-bought a full size because 99% of Solstice Scents stuff works for me, and the description seemed like a no-brainer.

Would an [X] hater love this? I think even people who hate spicy bakery scents will like this, as it doesn't tip over to a "fall candle" scent, and it's definitely a sophisticated, ultra-realistic gourmand. 

Where am I? Sitting in a coffee shop, wrapped up in an orange or dark green scarf, sipping coffee and writing a mystery novel or something.

Where would I wear this? Daytime, autumn, winter, weekend, work. It perks me up in the morning but is very comforting throughout the day.

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 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 Naughty Pumpkin Review

Brand: Cocoa Pink
Availability: General Catalog Autumn/Winter (N/A in Spring/Summer)
Notes: This pumpkin blend demonstrates exactly why. Naughty begins with two of our bestselling fragrance oils specially formulated just for CocoaPink: Spiritueuse Double Vanilla and our exclusive triple amber blend that we call “CP Black”. We then added some of our “Sweet Pumpkin” for a blend that raises the bar for foodie scents to new heights.

First impression out of bottle: Cocoa Pink's Black note and something slightly pumpkiny.

Freshly applied: Mmm deeper darker pumpkins. Smells like Pumpkin Marshmallow but darker and less fluffy.

Drydown: Yes, I am LOVING Cocoa Pink for their unspiced pumpkin scents. This is like delectable dark pumpkin pie that's light on the spice. Hint of sweet buttery crust.

After several hours: Same sweet sexy pumpkin

Longevity: High
Sillage: Medium high

Would an [X] lover love this? Yes, pumpkin lovers will love this for unadulterated sweet pumpkin

Would an [X] hater love this? If you hate pumpkin spice, you may like this. If you hate gourmands you won't like it.

Where am I? Eating pie, duh.

Where would I wear this? To eat pie. Daytime, nighttime, it's good for both. Not a warm weather scent really. Definitely seasonal. 

Cocoa Pink Winchester House Kitchen Review

Brand: Cocoa Pink
Availability: General Catalog Autumn/Winter (N/A in Spring/Summer)
Notes: The distinct aroma of autumn in the Winchester house kitchen with notes of aged oak, fresh baked pumpkin pie, 5 fold orange essential oil coated in the warm essence of light muscovado sugar, fresh ginger, sticky gobs of benzoin, warm buttery caramel simmering on the stovetop and just the barest hint of clove.

First impression out of bottle: Crystallized ginger

Freshly applied: Whoa knock you down crystallized sweet ginger mixed with fresh citrusy ginger. 

Drydown: There's a hint of oak playing around with the ginger scent. This is such a fresh and zesty scent- it makes me think of an Asian spa, not a warm haunted kitchen. I can sort of smell the sugary bits trying to get out, but it's still overwhelmingly a fresh ginger scent. I think the orange essential oil is helping that zestiness be at the forefront. 

After several hours: Mostly wood now with some hints of ginger. I honestly never smell any of the other dessert scents.

Longevity: High
Sillage: Medium

Would an [X] lover love this? Fresh ginger lovers need this- it's not your powdered spice cabinet ginger.

Would an [X] hater love this? Ginger haters will despise this, and citrus haters too. 

Where am I? Smells like you used ginger-based organic room cleaner to clean out an old wooden house. The smell of ginger kind of lingers in a pleasant, clean way but isn't overpowering. 

Where would I wear this? Daytime, to clean the house, work, a brisk fall day that's not too cold yet.

Cocoa Pink Golden Morning Review

Brand: Cocoa Pink
Availability: General Catalog Autumn/Winter (N/A in Spring/Summer)
Notes: Cool vanilla wrapped around honeyed, pale pumpkin gently grounded with white oak, tonka bean finished with the barest hint of copal.

First impression out of bottle: Honey

Freshly applied: Sweet honey and copal resin.

Drydown: Oh wow, this is heavenly. It smells like a NAVA perfume- like a shop full of Egyptian antiquities. It smells like honeyed resins and fine earthy woodsy notes. I get no pumpkin really- just creaminess. The tonka and oak combine to make a gorgeous woodsy background, but the main attractions are the sweet vanilla, honey, and copal.

After several hours: Still the same. Very perfumey and lush. Like I said, reminds me of NAVA, and actually also of some old BPAL perfumes I remember. Really sexy, mature, sweet, and elegant. Totally unlike some of Cocoa Pink's foodie/youthful offerings.

Sweet, resinous, woodsy like a romanticized library in Egypt

Longevity: High
Sillage: Very high.

Would an [X] lover love this? I think anyone who's a fan of sweet resinous scents would enjoy this. It's quite feminine, which isn't necessarily the case for many woodsy/resin scents, but it's so beautiful. Also I may add that the honey scent in this is not really ostentatious. Indie honeys are tough and I have had my fair share go plasticky/soapy on me but this honey wraps around the vanilla and wood notes so perfectly. 

Would an [X] hater love this? I think people who dislike resiny/syrupy scents will find this to be too strong to their liking. It settles into a very perfumed scent, so it's not a "natural" woodsy scent.

Where am I? Helping Rachel Weisz sort through ancient manuscripts.

Where would I wear this? I would wear this primarily in colder weather, and it could go either way in terms of day or night. A bit too syrupy/perfumey for warm weather though.

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.

NAVA Pumpkin #7 Review

Brand: Nocturne Alchemy
Availability: Limited Edition Halloween 2015
Notes: Amber Pumpkin perfumed with 7 rich exotic Amber notes to create the ultimate Amber perfume base for this Pumpkin infused scent. Spices of fig and raw pumpkin swim in a vat of decadent Sandalwood

First impression out of bottle: Fresh, creamy, hint of spice pumpkin. Tiny hint of something that reminds me of black tea, I think that’s the fig.

Freshly applied: Same as the initial impression, beautiful light airy pumpkin. Smells like fresh pumpkin purée and a carved jack o’ lantern, plus just a hint of spice. Not like a PSL or anything. Far less spice than #31. There’s a golden quality to this that is coming from the amber. I love the use of the amber here, almost like a syrup that’s surrounding everything.

Drydown: Yep, this is staying true. Raw/steamed pumpkin purée with a tiny hint of spice and swaddled in creamy white-gold yumminess. The hint of fig is definitely reading black tea to me, in a lovely earthy grounding way.

Pale pumpkin with warm, woodsy background

After several hours: Creamy amber and sandalwood.

Longevity: About 4 hours until it becomes a very faint skin scent
Sillage: At first, medium, then low for the rest of the day.

Would an [X] lover love this? I think anyone who likes pumpkin will find this a refreshing change of pace from the usual heavily-spiced or overly gourmand offerings.

Would an [X] hater love this? A pumpkin hater might be surprised. As this scent is more perfumed and soft, and less obviously FALL SPICE, it could be appealing even if you usually snub pumpkin scents.

Where am I? Being crowned the Pumpkin Queen at a Harvest Festival

Where would I wear this? This is a very daytime scent to me, soft, appropriate for work, but also sweet and fun enough for weekend wear. When Spring comes and I'm tired of my autumnal scents, I might still break this one out occasionally.

NAVA Pumpkin #13 Review

Brand: Nocturne Alchemy
Availability: Limited Edition Halloween 2015
Notes: Crystalline Vanilla Pumpkin. Fresh Pumpkin Pie doused with Cotton Candy, Soft Pumpkin Pie Spices and Crystalline Vanilla SL

First impression out of bottle: Cotton candy that's weirdly not very sweet.

Freshly applied: Much stronger vanilla and cotton candy feel than Pumpkin 7. The creamy pumpkin here is very similar to Pumpkin 7, but it’s a teensy bit more spiced and foodie. Like you’ve taken the purée from 7 and started to make it into dessert already. 

Drydown: I didn’t love the opening, it was kind of bland cotton candyish, but now I’m loving the musky vanilla of the Crystalline note melding with the sharp sweetness of the cotton candy and the underlying pumpkin pie. Sweet, fluffy, gorgeous. It’s like if you somehow magically transformed pumpkin pie INTO cotton candy.

After several hours: Cotton candy with a hint of pumpkin spice

Lightly spiced pumpkin cotton candy

Longevity: High
Sillage: Medium/High- cotton candy usually projects hard on me, but the Crystalline note from NAVA (while persistent) is a sort of tricksy note that drifts in and out of your periphery. It is detectable but later in its life is hard to smell when you're SNIFFING your wrist. But you will smell it randomly when you're walking around. Magical.

Would an [X] lover love this? A pumpkin lover would really go for this. It's a nice spin on your average pumpkin-spice scent. A cotton candy lover would also probably enjoy as it's a good change from the usual fruity-candy fare.

Would an [X] hater love this? A pumpkin hater probably wouldn't like this. It's not my favorite of the NAVA pumpkins so I don't think this will win hearts or minds simply because it incorporates interesting cotton candy.

Where am I? A carnival in Halloweentown! 

Where would I wear this? Out and about, work, dates, to sleep.

NAVA Pumpkin #31 Review

Brand: Nocturne Alchemy/NAVA
Availability: Limited Edition Halloween 2015
Notes: Deep dark and rich black pumpkin puree, caramelized caramel, pie spice, rum, French Vanilla, and Osirian Purnima Incense Accord

First impression out of bottle: Incense with pumpkin pie spice.

Spiced incense

Freshly applied: Sweet, creamy, spicy pumpkin pie purée. Not a buttery or pastry scent, but just the pie filling. Heavy on the ginger and nutmeg, not so much on the cinnamon. Mixed with rich incense, not a burning incense smell, but the unlit powdery smell of a box of high quality ceremonial incense. 

Dark pumpkin purée

Drydown: Same, except the two sides of this meld together more harmoniously now. The pumpkin pie and the incense become one: a spiced, creamy dessert incense. The vanilla lightens the blend, so it's not as blackened/dark as I expected. The incense is creamy and a bit pale.

Unlit incense and pumpkin spice

After several hours: Mostly soft, purring incense and a hint of spice

Longevity: High
Sillage: Medium/High- I'm always surprised that NAVA incense perfumes aren't HEAVY. They are impossible to overdo, even though I'm a chronic slatherer. I could pour this all over (and I did the first time I opened it) and I still get the powerful but not overwhelming medium/high throw.

Would an [X] lover love this? A pumpkin spice lover would enjoy this, but only if they also dig incense notes. 

Would an [X] hater love this? While this is a remarkably good incense note in my opinion, it's not going to change anyone's mind. It's a complex incense, but I don't consider it to be a very beginner-friendly scent. It's a little murky and earthy, probably not for everyone.

Where am I? Baking pies and burning incense in a witchy cottage.

Where would I wear this? Bed, work, a night out. It's not too sexy, but the incense notes make it a little sultry.

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.