Comparison Post: Cocoa Pink Strawberry Noel vs. Vampire's Lament

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: 

Cocoa Pink Strawberry Noel (A perfectly balanced fresh strawberry that smells like real berries (not plasticy bubblegum strawberry), blended with VBN.)

Cocoa Pink Vampire's Lament (Luscious strawberry milkshake essence spiked with white amber, metallic white musk then finished off with a splash of creamy vanilla.)

How do they stack up? Strawberry Noel is very sweet, fruity in a fresh way, and a bit simple. It smells like you infused vanilla whipped cream with the essence of fresh macerated strawberries. Vampire's Lament smells exactly like strawberry ICE CREAM, which is missing from SN. It has a cold, creamy smell that is just exquisite. Less of a vanilla bean scent than in SN. VL also has a lot of musk and amber, which lend a more perfumey feel and make it feel a lot more sophisticated. SN is more of the type of scent a younger girl would favor, or maybe a good scent for a shampoo or bath product. It's very pretty, not synthetic or cheap-smelling, but less elegant. 

How similar are they? Not very similar at all! Besides having the basic foodie/berry notes in common, one smells like a lovely simple fruity lotion, and the other smells like a sort of sexy fruity, grown-up perfume. The strawberry in both is nice, but the strawberry in SN is very fresh, and the strawberry in VL is more like the flavor of strawberry ice cream.

Sillage: I have both in Cocoa Pink's EDP format, which is very high in sillage. Equally good.

Longevity: Ditto for above. Love Cocoa Pink's EDPs, they last forever.

Destashing any?: If I were to destash one, it would be Strawberry Noel. I like it enough to keep it for now, but I might destash if it gets no love come spring. I would definitely repurchase this in a hair or body product, though, as I feel it would be well-suited to that format. I do prefer Vampire's Lament as it's more sophisticated. 

Cocoa Pink Twinkies Review

Brand: Cocoa Pink
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: A wonderful rich pound cake with loaded with heavy cream.

First impression out of bottle: Buttercream

Freshly applied: Cheap buttercream frosting

Drydown: Generic sweetness. Less cheap-smelling than at first but not special or expensive-smelling. 

After several hours: Same

Longevity: High
Sillage: Low Medium

Would an [X] lover love this? I think a gourmand lover would find this to be uninteresting and for me, it doesn't compete with other great gourmands (from Cocoa Pink and other brands.)

Would an [X] hater love this? No this isn't going to convert a gourmand hater.

Where am I? Eating cheap gas station versions of Twinkies, not the real thing.

Where would I wear this? I wouldn't.

Cocoa Pink Signature White Review

Brand: Cocoa Pink
Availability: General Catalog

Notes: a blend of delicate shea blossoms, rice flowers, vanilla cream, sweet sugar and heliotrope with delicate undertones of amber and sandalwood.

First impression out of bottle: Clean sweetness.

Freshly applied: Sweet amber and floral pops out a little, reminds me a lot of Alkemia's Carmen VII at this point. 

Drydown: Lovely medley of flowers, smooth clean cream, powdered sugar, and a hint of fruity-floral that reminds me a bit of lilac mixed with cherry/almond (from the heliotrope I believe.) I like the blend of food and non-food sweetness here. Very fresh and clean but soft and sweet, not at all laundry-like or zesty. 

Like a white-themed tea party

After several hours: Same soft, smooth clean white smell. 

Longevity: High
Sillage: Low/Medium

Would an [X] lover love this? I think anybody who likes subtle scents will like this because it's so light but complex and fun. It's a wonderful and different "fruity-floral" that doesn't have too many obvious notes. Nothing competes, everything blends well.

Would an [X] hater love this? I think if you dislike fruity florals or florals in general, you might find this too princessy.

Where am I? A tea party with a white color scheme. 

Where would I wear this? Daytime, summer, spring.

Comparison Post: Golden Corn Cakes vs. Potluck vs. Iowa

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: 

Possets Iowa (this one starts out with a crystallized vanilla...then there is a hint of turbinado sugar, and a large dose of an accord based on wheat...and a small amount of a whiskey-like addition) Permanent Collection

Haus of Gloi Golden Corn Cakes (Corn cake baked to a golden perfection, topped with butter and honey) Limited Edition Autumn

Cocoa Pink Potluck (True Southern-style cornbread set out next to our honeyed, buttered oatcakes and warm zucchini bread.) 

General Catalog (Autumn/Winter) (N/A during Spring/Summer)

Scent Characteristics: 

Iowa smells like an overcooked, crunchy cornbread cookie with a ton of butter. I'm surprised I enjoy the butter in here- it smelled rancid in Cream and Mrs. Rabbit's Carrot Cake, but it fits well in here. Like luxurious fresh salted butter, not the unpleasant microwave-popcorn note I got in the past. This smells like the brown underside of cornbread- not the yellow fluffy middle part, but the crispy edge.

Potluck starts out with a lot of zucchini/banana bread character. On the drydown, the prominent zucchini bread smell goes away and it's mostly oatcake and butter with a hint of cornbread. Sort of like a not-too-sweet spicy oatmeal cookie scent.

Golden Corn Cakes is a very well balanced, full-smelling honeyed butter and cake/bread smell. It smells of cornbread in the bottle, honey in the initial application and early dry stages, and the cornbread pops out again in the later drydown!

How similar are they?: These are very different in my opinion. I think that Iowa is the least cornbread-y of the three. It turns into that brownish burnt-edge smell that baked goods get. It's quite pleasant except that it turns "thin" near the end of its life. Potluck is a mishmash of different baked goods, and the spice turns it into a bit more of an oaty biscuit scent. They all have quite a bit of butter in them, which is successful in all three. Golden Corn Cakes is unique in that it's completely scrumptious. I can't stop sniffing it. It does have a common vibe with Potluck, but is more luscious.

Sillage: Golden Corn Cakes has the highest sillage, and the most robust/full scent that carries. Potluck has slightly less throw and is a bit "flatter." Iowa is harder to smell at a distance, and after it's sat on the skin for a while it really turns flat.

Longevity: Golden Corn Cakes has the best longevity and ages on the skin the best. It smells just as scrumptious throughout its entire life. It lasts the whole day. Iowa sticks around a long time, but not in a wearable form. After the golden-burnt opening it turns flat and blackened and even though I can smell it when sniffing my wrist, the actual scent isn't great for the rest of its life. Probably 5-6 hours of wear. Potluck has similar longevity to Iowa in that I can detect it for 6 hours, but it changes so much from the opening that I'm not really interested in what's left after a few hours. Mostly turns into a spiced oat smell after the first hour.

Destashing any?: I only have a sample of Iowa and Potluck but I'll probably destash them. I can't imagine ever craving a "cornbread" scent and reaching for either of these over the beautiful Golden Corn Cakes.

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.

NAVA Carnival Arcane Review

Brand: NAVA
Availability: General Catalog

Notes: Black Kettle Corn with tendrils of black spun sugar that weave, like a web, though ethereal funnel cakes drizzled with aged black Crystal vanilla musk, Crystalline Syrup and sweet & salty accords

First impression out of bottle: Fluffy Kettle Corn


Freshly applied: Salty-sweet popcorn, over an almost fruity syrup base. I don't smell Crystalline that much...it's fruity and a bit "thin" smelling.

Drydown: Still lovely Kettle Corn, but now the thin/fruity syrup smell has been replaced with a really nice musky sweet smell. Crystalline vanilla is generally a pure, fluffy, musky vanilla and that comes across here, but it's a bit less complex and more playful/cotton-candy-like. I think it's nicely balanced as-is, but I want more of the Kettle Corn scent. I think this would be dynamite with more dark, caramelized notes.

After several hours: Same fluffy soft savory-sweet. Like Rice Krispie treats and cotton candy.

Pink fluffy Kettle Corn

Longevity: High
Sillage: Medium

Would an [X] lover love this? Gourmand lovers who like salty scents might enjoy this. I've never tried Sixteen92 Shadow Show but this sounds similar, without the metallic notes and earthy notes. It's very straightforward.

Would an [X] hater love this? I think gourmand haters won't like this. It's too straightforward and doesn't introduce any unexpected notes.

Where am I? Making carnival-themed treats for a kid's birthday party. Not actually at a real carnival though. 

Where would I wear this? Daytime, spring, summer.

NAVA Ghost Velvet Review

Brand: NAVA
Availability: Limited Edition NAVAlloween Pt. 1 2015

Notes: Our velvet blend (Haunted ghost-like Jasmine, vespers of Vanilla bean, soporific musk all weave the scent of Eternal Ankh Vanilla Absolute) with the utterly beautiful accord of our SL Crystalline. Thick, rapturous vanilla velvet blanket for a ghost to keep warm in the dead of night or as a cozy blanket of velvet scent

First impression out of bottle: Sweet, caramelized vanilla

Creamy white vanilla

Freshly applied: Gooey vanilla and a hint of flowers

Drydown: The gooey, caramelized vanilla dries into the characteristic NAVA Crystalline, which is a slightly musky, fluffy true vanilla. The jasmine pops out more and becomes a co-star with the dreamy vanilla. Like in the other Velvet blends, the jasmine is complemented by all the other notes and is made to feel more true/realistic despite not being a lone single note. This evokes a very fluffy, creamy, pure white jasmine. It smells sexy because it's jasmine, but it's not a sexed-up scent.

Pure white jasmine

After several hours: Same creamy, intermingled jasmine-vanilla musk. It's now revealing these wonderful tropical, fresh nuances. There's now a note that reminds me of coconut cream.

Tropical, sweet, and fresh

Longevity: High
Sillage: Medium-high

Would an [X] lover love this? I think jasmine fans will really like this rendition

Would an [X] hater love this? I don't know if a jasmine-hater would like it, it's very pure and I can see where the vanilla (turning to coconutty vibes) might be a bit sweet and strong. I don't feel the scent itself is too assertive, but if your nose is bothered by sweet or white florals, maybe it's not for you.

Where am I? Hiking through the jungle to a really luxurious resort surrounded by waterfalls.

Where would I wear this? Daytime, summer, spring. It was released this fall but I really think I'll be getting a lot of use out of it with the warmer weather. 

NAVA Kashmir Velvet Review

Brand: NAVA
Availability: Limited Edition NAVAlloween Pt. 1 2015
Notes: Our velvet (Haunted ghost-like Jasmine, vespers of Vanilla bean, soporific musk all weave the scent of Eternal Ankh Vanilla Absolute) blended eerily into the phantasm of red musk in our SL Kashmir. Nuances of blue Frankincense lie underneath pulsing with Blood Musk.

First impression out of bottle: spicy, almost edible dark jasmine

Freshly applied: Smooth soft vanilla-jasmine with a hint of the type of spice and sweetness you get from a root beer float. 

Drydown: Sweet vanilla jasmine and red musk. NAVA's Kashmir note is a spiced red musk that is pretty divisive. I see people who adore it and people who hate it. To me, it's a root-beer-ish spicy smooth scent. Very much a strong "musky" note, but without the body odor nuance of some heavier musks. I personally like it in this blend, but I wouldn't say I'm the biggest fan. The jasmine in this is very smooth and "fantasy"-like. It's not a fresh, plant-y jasmine, nor is it a heavy indolic note. It smells like a clean bathroom with open windows surrounded by trellises draped in jasmine. It's soft, clean, sweet, and very pure. The Eternal Ankh vanilla note in the Velvets REALLY highlights the sweeter plush aspects of jasmine. The whole blend makes me think of draped red velvet robes, soft and lush. 

After several hours: Same sweet musky vanilla jasmine, with slightly less spice from the Kashmir musk. I love that the spice in this isn't differentiated, it doesn't smell like cooking spice sitting on top of flowers. It smells of really fine Nag Champa. It doesn't have a smoky, strong incense smell, but if you are a fan of Nag Champa you'll recognize that same smooth duskiness in here. It's not at all overwhelming though, just a hint.

Longevity: High
Sillage: Medium-high

Would an [X] lover love this? A jasmine-lover would adore this. It is a jasmine blend, sure, but it ends up being one of the most accurate jasmine soliflores ever, because the red musk and vanilla enhance the natural aspects of the flower without overpowering it. And if you love nag champa and gentle incense smells, this will be a wonderful subtle blend for you to enjoy. 

Would an [X] hater love this? I think jasmine-haters will find something they love here. Most jasmine-haters don't hate the scent of a jasmine flower, they hate the pale and stinky imitations that a lot of perfumes have. This is an unexpectedly pure jasmine that smells like the soul of the flower.

Where am I? Draping myself in pink velvet after taking a bubble bath with pure jasmine essences and oils, burning fine incense and luxuriating in all the wonderful scents.

Where would I wear this? Nighttime, daytime, spring, summer. I love this scent, and I think it's sexy enough for a date but not too slinky to make it inappropriate for daytime or work.

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. 

Alkemia Carmen 7 Review

Brand: Alkemia
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: Spiced Pear, Lychee Fruit, Praline, Vanilla, Magnolia, and Amber

First impression out of bottle: Fruit, musk, amber. Fresh and girlish.

Freshly applied: A beautiful soft feminine vanilla pops out and amber becomes more prominent. It’s starting to smell like a mainstream amber-vanilla blend (not in a bad way.) 

Drydown: The white florals are unfurling and there’s a sugared undercurrent that I think is the praline note mingled with the amber/vanilla. The fruits are also there now but it’s 30% fruity-floral and 70% vanilla-amber-sweetness. Very balanced. I love the magnolia in this. Overall, I’m reminded of some kind of sexy scent from Victoria’s Secret, only it’s more sophisticated and high quality. The amber is a very “clean” one and it smells of washed and powdered skin, not too sweet and a bit fresh. Almost like a clean cotton scent, but without the screechy laundry-detergent feel of that type of note. Reminds me of the "baby" undertone of certain Johnson & Johnson products, but NOT like baby oil. It really reminds me of that lavender baby body wash/lotion they sell in the purple bottle. 

Something fresh, clean, and comforting

After several hours: Complex sweet muskiness. 

Longevity: Medium high
Sillage: Medium high

Would an [X] lover love this? I think if you enjoy mainstream fruity-floral perfumes, or anything in the warm/amber/vanilla family, you will love this. Especially if you find yourself loving on some mainstream sweet/girly scents from the likes of Victoria's Secret or Bath & Body Works. It’s not strongly lychee or pear, so look elsewhere for true fruit scents of that nature. 

Would an [X] hater love this? If you are generally opposed to sweet, girlish scents, this might turn you off. If you exclusively wear witchy, dark stuff, this won’t appeal. But I like both dark AND light things, and this is a perfect, non-cloying girly scent. Great for any friends who are not yet inducted into the creepy-fun world of indie perfume and would want something non-threatening and beautiful. Also great as a stocking stuffer for younger friends or family, as it’s not Baby Prostitute perfume, but would be appropriate for anybody from the ages of 13 onward.

Where am I? I  feel like Gisele shooting a perfume commercial, wrapped in flattering golden pink lighting.

Where would I wear this? Daytime, weekend, probably out to dinner even because it's kind of sexy in a non-sexual way. Girly and super pretty.

Common Brimstone Abhaile Review

Brand: Common Brimstone
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: Rich notes of carrot cake and hot chocolate create a luxurious feel, while chestnut and cinnamon keep this from being too sweet. A base of French vanilla completes the gourmand experience

First impression out of bottle: Carrot cake

Freshly applied: Mm, dark sweet carrot cake with a bit of nuttiness.

Drydown: There's something like spicy musk that's making this more than a simple "cake" scent. It's kind of a gingerbread scent but with a little twist. I like it a lot more than Possets' Mrs. Rabbit's Carrot Cake which was kind of rancid/buttery on me. The nuts and cinnamon are more prominent now. It smells like spicecake. 

After several hours:

Longevity: Medium
Sillage: Low

Would an [X] lover love this? If you enjoy spicy/sweet gourmands with a twist this is a good one. It smells expensive. I wish the sillage were higher, but that's my only complaint.

Would an [X] hater love this? I don't know if a gourmand hater would like this. It's a little different than a literal cake scent, so perhaps the musky spiciness would be appealing.

Where am I? Eating spiced cake and wearing expensive nighttime perfume

Where would I wear this? Daytime, nighttime, autumn, winter.

Common Brimstone Godfrey's Cordial Review

Brand: Common Brimstone
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: mixes poppies with honey, vanilla, cinnamon and clove.

First impression out of bottle: Powdery sweet baby oil

Freshly applied: Old-fashioned baby oil with a hint of spice

Drydown: There's a hint of soft gold honey, some spice, but it's mostly that round, musky sweetness that smells like really expensive baby oil. It's not gross and chemical-y or too sweet, but it smells SUPER babyish/old-fashioned. I actually don't hate it but I doubt I would wear this much. There's something more sophisticated and resinous that stops this from being a purely face-cream scent.

After several hours: Not much spice left, mostly sweet round baby oil. This is a very simple but expensive-smelling scent. It smells like a luxurious midcentury ladies cosmetic product.

Longevity: High
Sillage: Medium

Would an [X] lover love this? I think if you love the scent of baby oil, old-fashioned cosmetics (like Pond's Cold Cream, Nivea, etc), or powdery scents in general, you will love this. 

Would an [X] hater love this? If you hate powdery scents, this is not for you. I like it a bit, but I'm sensitive to powder and it's a little simplistic for me. I think with a touch more spice I would enjoy it more.

Where am I? Applying Nivea/Ponds before bedtime in a sophisticated powder room.

Where would I wear this? To bed, daytime, spring, summer

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. 

Sarawen Ambrosia Chocolat Review

Brand: Sarawen
Availability: General Catalog
Notes: chocolate, amber, honey, vanilla

First impression out of bottle: Chocolate honey, mmm!

Freshly applied: Oh snoes, it's turning waxy and plasticky on me...mostly fake honey with beeswax and a hint of something like cut green flower stems. No chocolate. COME BACK.

None of your beeswax.

Drydown: Burnt honey with hints of plastic and Band-Aids. Nope nope nope. The chocolate, which was SO lovely in the bottle on cold sniff, is a mere trace here. I'm sure this one will be ok on some but if you have trouble with honey or chocolate notes (I do, and I've tried em all) you should be wary.

Like this, but more chemically and dirty

After several hours: Honey that is simultaneously waxy/plasticky and sharp. No chocolate. Still with that weird sappy green flower stem note.

I really fucking hate this smell, if you can't tell.

Longevity: Medium.
Sillage: Medium. 

Would an [X] lover love this? I have heard plenty of people say they enjoyed this, but like Smelly Yeti Not the Bees, this went immediately plasticky and nasty on me. I love chocolate but have a hard time finding good cocoa notes, and this was no exception. 

Would an [X] hater love this? Unless you have skin chemistry that melds well with these type of notes (cheaper/simplistic blends IMO) I think you will hate this and find it turns fake-y.

Where am I? Accidentally melting plastic and food together in a kitchen mishap.

Where would I wear this? Nowhere. If it smelled like it did in the bottle on me, I'd wear it for sexy nighttime fun.

Cocoa Pink Twist of Lime Noel Review

Brand: Cocoa Pink
Availability: General Catalog 
Notes: Twist of lime blended with VBN.

First impression out of bottle: Sweet lime candy

Freshly applied: Sweet lime with beautifully fluffy vanilla

Drydown: Same sweet, candied lime with fluffy Vanilla Bean Noel. I love this! It's a perfect sweet lime scent. I had tried Lime Sugar and it was too astringent and sharp. Key Lime Clouds was too fluffy and not lime-y enough. This is what I wanted Key Lime Clouds to be! Hnng I really love the VBN note, because it's deep enough to be interesting and a bit caramely, but not so deep as to be smoky or sexy. It's still a very youthful, daytime-appropriate note.

Key lime marshmallows

After several hours: Vanilla fluff with a hint of key lime

Longevity: High
Sillage: Medium- I find some of the VBN blends to be a little lower in sillage. They don't scream as loudly but they do linger a long time.

Would an [X] lover love this? Lime or vanilla/marshmallow lovers would go crazy for this. If you have ever looked for a key lime scent with no crust/graham cracker, then this is it!

Would an [X] hater love this? This avoids the pitfalls of lime. It's not super zesty, sour, or cleaning-product-like. I find it super pleasant and easy to wear, and if you hate lime, this might change your mind.

Where am I? Making fancy marshmallows for someone's summer wedding.

Where would I wear this? This is definitely a summer scent to me. It is light enough for hot weather and the notes are perfect for summertime. I don't think I will wear this in the Winter, but I will DEFINITELY break it out come spring. Good for work or for weekend/date stuff!

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.

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 Cozy Cabin In the Woods Review

Brand: Cocoa Pink
Availability: General Catalog Autumn/Winter (N/A in Spring/Summer)
Notes: White Cedar trees heavily laden with soft piles of snow, sweet sandalwood, crackling freshly chopped firewood roaring from inside the glowing fireplace with the heavenly aromas of creamy sugared vanilla and gingerbread floating through the air.

First impression out of bottle: Cedar and pine

Freshly applied: Wooo hickory wood and pine. Almost like BBQ smoke (but not too smokey, just that same sweet savory thing.) Then pine pops out, it's really green and sappy. Almost makes me think of citronella. 

Citronella candles

Drydown: Yes, still citronella, but overlaid on really sweet warm woodsy notes. I can't decide if I like this because...it's basically citronella and woods. Oh god do I LIKE smelling like citronella?

After several hours: Sweet, piney woods, smoke, and citronella. I'm disappointed I get no  really distinct/differentiated foodie notes, but honestly the combination smells really good. I think the gingerbread and vanilla must be tempering the sharper notes, because it all smells awesome.

Longevity: High
Sillage: Medium

Would an [X] lover love this? This is weird, so even if you like woodsy scents, proceed with caution.

Would an [X] hater love this? If you hate smoke, fresh wood scents, and citronella, then this will probably be like death to you.

Where am I? For some reason, burning citronella in midwinter.

Where would I wear this? Camping, outdoors, daytime, nighttime. It's weird but I like it.

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 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.