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.

Solstice Scents Cocoa Absolute Review

Brand: SOlstice Scents
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: Natural Single Note Chocolate in Organic Cane Sugar Alcohol

First impression out of bottle: Chocolatey coffee

Freshly applied: Mmm bittersweet dark chocolate. Yes this is just cacao absolute in alcohol, but I'd buy anything Angela produces. I could make this myself but it wouldn't be the same. Watch out this stains the skin light brown. (I have medium/light skin on my arms.)

Drydown: Soft dark chocolate scent, like you made truffles with a bit of cream and sugar, but still mostly dark cocoa. 

After several hours: Softer dark chocolate scent.

Longevity: Medium. It's all-natural which means it generally is less powerful/shorter-lived than synthetic/natural blends. 
Sillage: Low medium. 

Would an [X] lover love this? Yes a chocolate lover would go apeshit for this scent. If you love the smell of real cocoa absolute, you need to try it. 

Would an [X] hater love this? Meh, depends. If you like real chocolate but hate the smell of perfumey chocolate, you should sample this. If you hate the smell of realistic chocolate, this will be bad news for you.

Where am I? In that shop in Chocolat, sampling fine French chocolates.

Where would I wear this? Nighttime, daytime, layered with other perfumes.

Solstice Scents Heart of the Night Review

Brand: Solstice Scents
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: Moroccan & Bulgarian Rose, Chocolate, Vanille, EoTN Base (Edge of the Night Base: blend of amber, oakmoss, aged patchouli, bergamot, black vanilla, a touch of red musk and buddha wood and a delicate blend of organic clove EO, star anise EO and cinnamon)

First impression out of bottle: Soft rose like in Rose Mallow Cream.

Freshly applied: Sweet lush red roses and chocolate.

Drydown: This is like a more assertive version of Rose Mallow Cream, with a kick of sexy amber and spice. It's like Rose Mallow Cream was Sandra Dee at the beginning of Grease and then morphed into Heart of the Night (all-leather-clad Sandy at the end of Grease.) There's the teensiest bit of chocolate, but not much. The chocolate keeps darting in and out but it's not a major player.

Incredibly lush sexy rose

After several hours: Still sexy creamy rose with hints of cocoa. Lovely amber and spice base which becomes dominant after a few hours (as in all SS Night perfumes.)

Longevity: Medium
Sillage: Medium

Would an [X] lover love this? I think a rose lover would fall in love with this. I was expecting a deeper, richer chocolate scent but after it dried I didn't get any. So chocolate lovers would be disappointed.

Would an [X] hater love this? Rose haters would probably dislike this, unless they had only smelled very powdery/fake roses. But if you dislike Rose Mallow Cream, chances are you will not enjoy this.

Where am I? Laying in a bed of rose petals

Where would I wear this? Nighttime, date, but it would be good for daytime too. It's honestly not that strong or brash, just very lush and pretty.

Solstice Scents Smokewood Apiary Review

Brand: Solstice Scents
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: Smoked Honey, Creamed Honey, Beeswax, Amber, Wooden Frames, Ginger & Vanilla (VEGAN, only synthetic beeswax/honey notes)

First impression out of bottle: Blackened BBQ smoke.

Freshly applied: On first application, this is like the blackened char on really good BBQ ribs + smooth creamy honey. It's not meaty or savory but it's smokey and not too syrupy. 

Sweet BBQ scent

Drydown: Pure honey + dry wood and a whisper of smoke. That "wooden frames" they describe is absolutely apparent, it's a soft dry neutral wood like split planks on a homestead. I just sniffed my wrist and accidentally bonked my nose and ACTUALLY felt a ghost of "stickiness" as if I had real honey on my wrist. There's something about this honey that's fresh but warm, it has that tinkling high crystalline note of good fresh honey when you inhale it. No flower notes or grassiness. The smoke, which is prominent at first, fades to be a nice ashy note but it isn't like WOAH smoke after a few minutes

Pure honey with a gorgeous pale wood note

After several hours: Still mostly the same as initial drydown. I love the multiple honey notes because I get ALL OF IT, crystallized, liquid, and creamed honey all in one. It's like a combo of honeycomb and beeswax, very realistic. There's still a touch of dark resinous smoke, but nothing overwhelming. I have to say I love the smokey beginnings but I'm grateful the smoke dissipates quickly, because this quickly becomes a true rich natural honey, and I can always add smokiness back in using an incense note or my SS Whispers in the Night. I think the ginger in here adds to the realism of the honey, but it's not noticeable as a standalone note, and same goes for the vanilla.

Fresh, gooey, waxy honeycomb

Longevity: High, I can smell this all day with only a dab.
Sillage: High, I get comments when I hug people but also when they walk by.

Would an [X] lover love this? Yes, I have tried SO many honey scents, mainstream and indie, and this is the best of the best. Honey lovers need it.

Would an [X] hater love this? I don't know. It all depends on why you dislike honey. Maybe your skin chemistry turns it cat piss-y, or plasticky. In that case, give it a try because my skin chemistry does similar things with other honey perfumes. If you just don't like the smell of real honey, then maybe don't try it.

Where am I? It reminds me of those pioneer/colonial reenactment villages where you go on school trips (or, as I did, on one single weird date) and see the actors tending to beehives, making bread, and sweeping up hearths in linen dresses and bobbin caps. 

Colonial village honey

Where would I wear this? This is equally good for daytime or night, as it's a little sexy and warm but not too heavy. It's wonderful as a summer perfume, and transitions nicely into the autumn months.

Solstice Scents Foxcroft Fairgrounds Review

Brand: Solstice Scents
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: Cotton Candy, Cream Soda, Vanilla Taffy, Gridling's Funnel Cakes, Powdered Sugar, Crisp Fall Air, Woodsmoke & a Tendril of Incense

First impression out of bottle: Cotton candy and cream soda. 

Freshly applied:First, cotton candy, but not like Solstice Scent’s discontinued Pink Sugar. It’s a little deeper, not so fluffy. I think that’s the cream soda making it deep/creamy golden. There’s a hint of earthiness/airiness from the smoke and fall air but not so much to make this a dark scent. 

Luxurious sweet cotton candy

Drydown: I smell the powdered sugar now, and it’s amazing that it’s not a generic sweet smell. It’s the actual scent of powdered sugar when you get it wet. Smells like making royal icing! The whole thing is less overwhelmingly sugary than other cotton candy fragrances, there’s a coolness that comes from the crisp air (really does smell like November air) and the smoke/incense. I’d say it’s at least 70% air/earth with only 30% foodie notes, definitely not a straight-up gourmand. 

A perfect, powdered sugar-laden funnel cake joins the cotton candy

After several hours: A little incense peeks out on the later drydown and mingles nicely with the funnel cake/powdered sugar but it’s not a heavy spiced scent. I thought I would be meh on this but it’s actually lovely.

The foodie scents are combined with the best autumnal air scent ever

Longevity: High. This lasts the whole day
Sillage: High. It goes down to medium-high later in the day but is still very noticeable

Would an [X] lover love this? I think a gourmand lover would like this a lot. I usually like traditional gourmands, but this has a different, earthy twist that works so well.

Would an [X] hater love this? I think gourmand haters need to try it, because it's very unexpected and not sweet in a cloying way.

Where am I? This isn't a busy/clamoring scent like being RIGHT in the middle of a fair. It's like you're standing on a hill just above the fairgrounds, smelling the edible treats wafting through the air, a touch of woodsmoke on the October/November breeze, and a hint of incense from a fortuneteller's caravan. It's right when the sun is setting and the air is cooling off.

Where would I wear this? Work, weekend, even maybe a night out. It's not a light scent but it's also not heavily dark or spiced, so I think it's very versatile. It's one of my absolute favorites.

Solstice Scents Maplewood Inn

Brand: Solstice Scents
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: Maple, Woods, Amber, Benzoin, A Roaring Fire & A Hot Cup Of Frothy Vanilla Chai

First impression out of bottle: Liquid smoke/and candied maple bacon. 

Smoky maple syrup

Freshly applied: Same blackened smoke and maple candy.

Drydown: Maple fades a bit from initial prominence but is still there. The woods and smoke come forward and I get a beautiful resinous cedar/redwood. I detect the spicy vanilla chai as well, it reminds me of Sycamore Chai.

Woodsy smoke and sweet chai tea

After several hours: Still beautiful, smoky sweet woods. The astringent red wood you get in Solstice Scents Attic is here, but sweetened up with a dollop of maple sugar and some chai. This reminds me a lot of Deep Midnight A Study in Brown, but with a maple spice character.

Imagine drinking a cup of chai and snacking on maple candy here

Longevity: High, this lasts from the morning till late at night, even with multiple hand washings. If you loved SS Sycamore Chai but hated that it faded so quickly, pick this one up.
Sillage: Also very high, this creates a beautiful spiced foody woodsmoke cloud. I love how strongly this smells.

Would an [X] lover love this? Anyone who likes spice or wood scents definitely needs this. And if you think it smells too bacon-y at first, let it age a few weeks. You'll be shocked at how gentle and gorgeous the woodsmoke becomes.

Would an [X] hater love this? This is quite sweet and spicy, so those of you who dislike woodsy or autumnal scents might not enjoy it. I think it's quite a balanced and original scent though, so if you're afraid of smelling generic, give this a shot.

Where am I? Sitting in a ski lodge, drinking maple chai next to a roaring fire.

Where would I wear this? I wear this to work (but am careful to limit the amount I wear) and it's not too smoky/sexy for daytime. It would be amazing as a nighttime scent in cold weather though. Definitely more suited to autumn/winter than the warmer months.

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.

Solstice Scents Sycamore Chai Review

Brand: Solstice Scents
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: Vanilla Chai Tea, Marshmallow, Ginger, Pumpkin

First impression out of bottle: Chai spice

Freshly applied: Beautiful black milk tea (like the kind you get at a bubble tea place), deep and dusky but milky and smooth, with the best, most intense chai spices ever. I smell NO pumpkin roll or cake note. Just gorgeous black tea with milk and spice.

Drydown: Same as above.

You can smell the black tea, the spice, and the milk

After several hours: This fades and becomes more of a thin black tea with spice, but it loses its initial amazing, realistic creaminess.

Longevity: Low/medium. For such a spicy scent, this doesn't have much tenacity, which is disappointing. I can barely smell this after 3 hours.
Sillage: Medium. This carries a fair bit into the surrounding air, which I enjoy, but like I said it doesn't last all that long!

Would an [X] lover love this? Spice/tea lovers will go crazy for this. The spice is so realistic, and it's one of the best black tea notes I've ever found. Not too perfumey, not too astringent, just realistic and dark.

Would an [X] hater love this? I think anyone who's not a fan of spice will shy away from this, but I hated cardamom before I tried it, and now I'm a believer. I think the milk tea base keeps it from being a heavy/candle-y spice.

Where am I? Sipping a chai tea latte and wearing a tartan scarf

Where would I wear this? I like this a lot for layering. It's not very sugary so it doesn't add another layer of sweetness to gourmands, and the spice goes with everything. I love it in Autumn and Winter but it's pretty versatile.

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.

Solstice Scents White Feather EDP Review

Brand: Solstice Scents
Availability: General Catalog, only available in Eau de Parfum, not perfume oil
Notes: Vanilla, Jasmine, Real Gardenia, Saffron, Sandalwood, Spices & More

First impression out of bottle: Super spicy and perfumey. Indoles, saffron, spice, and sour wood.

Freshly applied: Stinky, poopy indolic jasmine. Like flowers that have started to rot and turn brown. The spices and wood and incense are conspiring to smell like decaying wood. Very spicy and dank.

Drydown: All of a sudden, the dank rotten notes dissipate, and a breath of spicy, lush jasmine bursts forth. It is now a half and half hybrid of creamy jasmine illuminated by the moonlight and soft burning incense. The most exquisite gardenia note (SS's own handmade gardenia enfleurage) is helping the jasmine to be more gentle and lush. There is a sweet playful vanilla that plays around the edges of the incense but never takes over.

After several hours: Soft vanilla incense with a hint of the same gorgeous jasmine from earlier.

Photo via VTWiccan

Longevity: High
Sillage: Medium. After the initial strong burst, this very quickly becomes a medium-throw perfume. But even though I can't smell it that strongly, other people definitely smell it when passing by or hugging me. I receive a lot of compliments on this one. It also clings to clothing exceptionally well.

Photo via Solstice Scents

Would an [X] lover love this? A jasmine lover would love this, unless some of the notes went funky on their skin. As it is a bit poopy and stinky, this can morph into perfection or hell, depending on your skin chemistry. An incense lover would probably adore this, for a lighter floral take on incense.

Would an [X] hater love this? A jasmine hater would most likely not be converted by this. The only exception I can think is if they had smelled synthetic jasmines before and were put off by the bathroom cleaner ish vibe. Then they need to get a load of this. Incense haters might like this, as it avoids the heavy resin feel of some incense and focuses on the powdery, spa like aspect.

Where am I? Standing next to my parent's jasmine bush at twilight, smelling faint Japanese incense from the altar in the house. Or maybe standing in the doorway of a mountain temple hidden in the Himalayas. Either/or.

Where would I wear this? I have worn this out to dinner multiple times. I love it for that because it's kind of an intimate, romantic scent that does well in low light. I like it for work as well, but the initial smelly opening is NOT pleasant, so I have to be extra careful not to apply it fresh around other people. I will usually spritz it on outside and let it chill out for 1-2 minutes before entering someone else's space. I find it to be a scent that works well in cold weather, as the romantic spiciness makes me feel cozy, as well as hot weather, when you feel like you're constantly sweating. It's one of those scents that melds with your (ugh) body odor to make you smell sultry and hot.