Perfume Witch

I review indie perfumes & other handmade goodies. You can also find me at perfumewitch.tumblr.com.

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Liber Officiorum Spirituum - Sixteen92 review

Originally released as part of Sihaya & Co.’s glorious Sisterhood of The Witch autumn box, Liber Officiorum Spirituum was also recently resurrected on limited release to raise money for Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. Liber Officiorum Spirituum is an evocative atmospheric perfume inspired by an ancient grimoire, which manages to capture the scent of sorcery.

Liber starts out with soft, delicate resins, which are rich in their sweetness but don’t come across as an overpowering incense-like note. This element of the fragrance is somehow reminiscent of the resins in Kuro Lolita, but reads a bit deeper and sweeter, without the delicate ‘fogginess’ which accompanies Kuro Lolita. (A favourite of mine, Kuro Lolita was also recently resurrected for hurricane aid.) Others have described Liber as caramel-like, and I can understand where that comes from - there’s a dark sweetness here, though overall the perfume doesn’t lean gourmand. Likewise, any incense qualities are not at all overt - though the things they evoke are similar, it’s a different beast to something like Arcana’s Holy Terror.. After around 10 minutes, something light and papery is just detectable as a top note. It’s difficult to describe, but it lends some levity to those rich resins.

About an hour into the drydown, the soft leather note comes out to play, and it plays very nicely with the remaining sweetness. The leather is softer and lighter than in something like Salem, so no risk of bitterness or hospital smell here. It’s very realistic. There’s something just a little bit smoky in there, too - not enough to dominate, but enough to make this perfume smell mysterious, sophisticated, and a tiny bit cologne-y when mixed with the leather. Very evocative. It really does conjure the feel of a study filled with ancient tomes, the smoke from burning candles still in the air and a lingering smell of ritual resins. In my mind, Liber is the perfect Halloween scent - though I have found myself wearing it year-round!

I would describe the throw of Liber Officiorum Spirituum as low to moderate. In my mind, this is perfect for a ‘darker’ perfume (even for one as delicate as this), but those seeking a more powerful witchy scent may prefer something like Holy Terror, or even Solstice Scents’ Conjure Dark. Personally, I found that the throw was ideal for daily wear. Longevity was around 5 hours, with the perfume drying down to ‘skin scent’ at hour 2-3.

Notes: Ancient parchment, leather bindings, smoldering resins, frankincense tears, ritual candles, black fire, soot, steel, dust and smoke.

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Inked - Darling Clandestine review

Evonne of Darling Clandestine has a reputation for creating ‘odd’ and unique scents, and Inked is the perfect example. Clean, rainy, and a little spicy, this is one of the more unusual perfumes in my collection. Inked is a gorgeous skin scent with a sultry, unisex feel.

Straight out of the vial, I can tell that this is going to be an addictive scent. I love slightly masculine perfumes, and this is a sultry aquatic without an overbearing musky or dry feel that can come with copious amounts of Iso E Super. I can smell something spiced in the bottle, but that isn’t apparent on my skin - not yet. It has a very clean feel, and to begin with it reads on my skin as almost minty or herbal, like eucalyptus wood but much softer. There’s a little bit of petrichor that seems to peek out, which might be the leather, but it’s not like any leather note I’ve ever smelled. Inked is a difficult perfume to describe, but the overall impression is definitely blue, rainy and clean. I’ve seen a lot of people describe this as ‘my skin but better’, and I can understand why.

Around an hour into the weartime, this morphs a little and I start to get some sweet spices over a base of dry woods. The ‘clean’ impression is still there, but the ozonic, rainy feel has been replaced by soft spices, reminiscent of men’s cologne lingering on a worn shirt. I think the spiced feel must represent the wine, since it almost is like mulled wine, but it really isn’t boozy, heady or berry-like as I expected. It still feels a little sultry, but it’s subtle enough for daytime wear. Certain spiced aquatics - such as Solstice Scents’ Tenebrous Mist, and Arcana’s The Kraken - immediately turn powdery on my skin, but fortunately this doesn’t occur with Inked, which feels a little softer and smoother.

The throw is ideal for me - it remains within my personal space, and I get wafts of the scent every now and then when I move around. Inked gives me a few hours of wear. I would like more, but in my experience, this isn’t too unusual for perfume oils.

I already love Inked, and the smooth, clean feel has me hooked. However, I’m aware that Darling Clandestine have historically had some issues with their turnaround time, and the business has switched to a pre-order only model where only two perfumes are available at any given time. This is unfortunate for international customers, who benefit from being able to order multiple items at a time to save on shipping, and as yet I haven’t seen any evidence of improved TAT. As a result, I’m sticking to sourcing Darling Clandestine perfumes from the indiemakeupandmore Sunday Swaps. Nonetheless, I would still recommend Inked to anyone looking for something a little different.

Notes: A sting of sea salt and leather, splashes of communion wine, the essence of raw skin. Inked is one of my favorite little sex machines.

Though, weirdly, I find it almost fits the Monstre Delicat description better: Clean, spicy, rainy, moody, wonderful. Sweet blackened fig, rain water, spiced wood. The nostalgic longing for storms. It’s a haunting watercolor “blue” scent.

[lori-rocks]

The old cottage, scotland.. by rebekah murray

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Serious Solstice Scents’ Hidden Lodge vibes.

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Nereids - quick Sixteen92 review

Released as part of Sixteen92′s summer 2017 collection, Nereids is a coconut-forward woody aquatic with an interesting pistachio note. This perfume is dry, sophisticated, and a little bit warm. See my brief review after the cut. 

Image from here.

Initially bright, but with a cosiness from the nutty smell of the pistachio. The coconut, which I often dislike in perfume, is made more nutty by the pistachio which vastly improves it. This is simultaneously sophisticated and comforting. It has a ‘perfume-y’ air to it, which I associate with aquatics, but it doesn’t feel heavy or salty. This isn’t a sweet coconut, but has a cool, woody feel - possibly because coconut shell has a drier smell than coconut flesh, or possibly from the ‘sea grasses’ note. For this reason, it reminds me a little of Deconstructing Eden’s Le Palmier, though the pistachio lends it a sweet warmth that I don’t get from Le Palmier.

Later on in the wear time, the pistachio has disappeared and I’m getting primarily coconut with an aquatic backdrop. It also becomes a touch sweeter over time. Unfortunately, I have started to amp the coconut, and it becomes overwhelming for me. I wish it held on to more of that dry, comforting, woody feel, but I suspect that my skin chemistry was always destined to eat this one. In terms of longevity, this perfume lasted a good few hours before I eventually decided to wash it off.

If you are a fan of wood-spiked aquatics and coconut in particular, this is an interesting and unique scent that might fit the bill. This is apparently in the same wheelhouse as Sixteen92′s Boardwalk (Coconut pulp, coconut milk, Coppertone, sand, sea breeze, driftwood, melted vanilla ice cream cone, sticky cotton candy), which leans a little sweeter.

Notes: Surf & shoreline, driftwood, dried coconut shell, pistachio, sweet sea grasses, salt.

[20aliens-deactivated20200625]

Tarocco (detail), 2011 oil on panel Luigi Benedicenti

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Wolfgang Tillmans vibes! (specifically, the crab photo)

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Hesperides - Sixteen92 review

Hesperides, inspired by the Greek legend of the ‘daughters of the evening’ or nymphs of the sunset, is a perfume offered as part of Sixteen92′s 2017 Summer Collection. This was actually gifted to me by a friend, alongside samples of the rest of the summer collection - thank you, Jodi! Hesperides is a rich, honeyed fruity-floral. Fruity perfumes aren’t usually my preference, but after quite the fragrance journey, I was pleasantly surprised.

The initial application is reminiscent of sweet, candy-like cherries - like the cherry skittles from the Wild Berry bags! This phase doesn’t last long, though, and after 5 minutes or so, the cherry is toned down to a softer fruity smell. The wood also begins to make itself known at this stage. There’s a dustiness which might be from the honey, and it’s a teensy bit floral, although the florals form more of a general impression (white flowers?) than emulating any particular bloom. Sixteen92′s honey note has gone wrong on me in the past - I ended up amping it to the point of it being cloying in both Tituba and Moonstone - so I’m becoming a little wary of how much the honey is dominating. By 10 minutes, most of the fruit is gone. It muddles through this dusty-floral-honey stage - almost like a sweet pollen - for around an hour, with reasonably impressive throw for a perfume oil. Once again, I’m wary, but the remaining fruit keeps the cloying nature of S92′s honey in check. I’m not compelled to scrub it off, and in fact I’m curious about where this morpher will go next!

Okay, there’s no pomegranate in this to my knowledge, but this Rosh Hashanah photograph of late summer fruits paired with honey forms quite a good summary (summery? heh) of Hesperides.

Three hours later, we’ve arrived at the perfume’s final form - now more of a skin scent, it’s a rich, delectable honey with deep fruity undertones. The cherry and apple didn’t disappear, after all! It’s evocative of fruit drizzled in honey, and it certainly smells very ‘golden’ - the kind of gold that graces the trees an hour before sunset. Claire has certainly succeeded there. Although I can’t detect the cherry nor the apple individually, there’s a depth to this that keeps the sweetness (that I couldn’t abide in Tituba/Moonstone) in check. The wood might also be contributing to this effect, although if it’s there, it’s blended seamlessly enough that I can’t pick it out by itself. For a Sixteen92 honey perfume, I’m surprisingly happy with this.

Hesperides is a rich, late-summer fruity-floral which is kept interesting by the addition of honey, and I think it would be a no-brainer for lovers of fruity florals. There’s no escaping the honey in this perfume, though, so haters of that note might be out of luck. It is worth mentioning that my impression could be coloured by my previous experiences with S92′s honey note, or my skin’s reaction to a particular component they use for it, but I will say that it is far more wearable for me than other honeys from their collection. If you’re looking for a delicious fragrance which captures the essence of late summer, I think this would be an excellent choice.

Notes: Apple wood & blossom, sweet cherry, magnolia flower, clover honey (vegan), hedione

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Devil’s Millhopper - Solstice Scents review

Devil’s Millhopper is a woody floral offered as part of Solstice Scents’ 2017 Spring Collection. I got really lucky with this perfume, as after it was sold out, a friend of mine messaged Solstice Scents to ask about re-stocks. They didn’t end up re-stocking, but they did have a single rollerball remaining, which my friend and I ended up splitting. I am SO glad that we did, because this perfume is beautiful! It is clean, leafy and interesting, and has quickly become a favourite that lives in my handbag.

This perfume opens with the smell of a florist - crisp, fresh greenery coupled with delicate florals which are somewhat reminiscent of lilacs. As a lover of woody florals, this is right in my wheelhouse, but it’s definitely more green than it is flowery. The oakmoss is present, adding a pepperiness to the greenery, but it doesn’t overwhelm and overall the impression is very balanced. The florals smell ‘cleaner’ than lilacs upon the drydown, and I wouldn’t have been able to guess what they are, but the notes list tells me that what I am smelling is actually heather. Other notes - delicate woods and fern - are definitely present, but not offering any characteristic mustiness or sharpness which would corrupt the realistic nature of this blend. It isn’t as sharp on the greens as, say, NAVA’s Cemetery Ivy or BPAL’s A Man In Armour Is Confronted By A Ghost And A Skeleton. This is certainly a delicate fragrance, offering a realistic impression of greenery coupled with clean florals. It’s unique, but very wearable.

My sole complaint about this fragrance is the longevity. It doesn’t seem to stick around for more than a few hours, after which it morphs into a sort of clean linen scent (actually, a very nice one, but somewhat unexpected after the fresh green impression that dominates over the rest of the perfume’s lifetime). I think that lower longevity is somewhat to be expected for these more delicate fragrances, but the effect during that tail end is very unusual. I suspect it might be the heather causing it, and the ‘morphing’ suggests to me that it might be my skin chemistry rather than an intended effect. I don’t find reapplication to be problematic, as Solstice Scents offers their 5 ml oil-based perfumes in handsome cobalt rollerballs.

Overall, this is a pretty, green and slightly botanical floral. The impression of a florist is quite right - it’s a realistic representation of fresh greenery coupled with clean florals. I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys realistic green scents, or anyone looking for a refreshing spring/summer scent. It might also work well layered, to temper or add depth to more rich and powerful florals.

Notes: Heather, Oakmoss, Fern & Delicate Wood Notes

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Perfume review: Cemetery Ivy

Hello! My Masters’ thesis has been submitted, thus I’m back for another review. Today, I’ll be talking about NAVA’s Cemetery Ivy, a gorgeous green fragrance with subtle floral undertones. Although this was part of the 2016 Halloween release, its freshness means that it makes for a perfect summer fragrance.

Image from ZimsWife.

I’m almost reticent to use the above image to describe this perfume as it might suggest a rose-y, predominantly floral smell, which this fragrance is decidedly not. However, I was on the hunt for wet green stems, and the deep green ones in this image do seem to fit the bill. When my partner smelled this, he commented that it smells “like a florist - like green leaves” and indeed the crisp, fresh green-ness is the first thing noticeable to my nose. I believe it’s the ivy note, which smells like freshly cut stems at a florist. It’s gloriously fresh and a little damp, though not in a musty way - more like morning dew, or afternoon rain.

Image from Carolyn’s Shade Gardens. (do click the link! So many gorgeous flowers).

Later in the dry-down, sweet florals do come out to play, but gently. These are not heady white florals nor commanding rose, but sweet and subtle honeysuckle and wisteria, which serve to temper the bright green ivy. By now, any initial sharpness accompanying the ivy has calmed significantly. What remains is still a green scent, but softer and sweeter, somewhat reminiscent of walking past a honeysuckle bush after it has rained. I get a distinct ‘shaded garden’ feeling from this perfume, so I thought the above photo was perfectly appropriate - plenty of lush green leaves and delicate wisteria.

The perfume notes list loam, although I don’t detect a heavy dirt note in this perfume whatsoever. I believe it could be contributing to the overall ‘wet, shady’ feel, though. Likewise, the base of Bastet Amber (NAVA’s blend of Amber resin, Guiacwood, Crystal Benzoin, Crystal Frankincense, Egyptian Cedar, Egyptian Frankincense, Egyptian Sandalwood, Egyptian Rock Rose, Egyptian Patchouli and Egyptian Siam) isn’t individually detectable, but serves to ground the whole thing.

Inspiration, perhaps? Image from Dreamstime.

Overall, this is a pretty, gently floral and very green scent that conjures images of a shaded garden. Those seeking more unusual florals: this would suit you well. If you’re fond of this kind of scent and would like something similar, but more forest-like, BPAL’s ‘A Man In Armour Is Confronted By A Ghost and A Skeleton’ has a similar vibe in terms of its predominantly green, leafy scent. ‘A Man In Armour...’ instead features lichen and a terpenic yew note rather than florals, making it a stately forest brother to Cemetery Ivy.

Notes: “Green Ivy that has taken over the cemetery overnight and has woven its vines of Ivy throughout, over headstones, broken into gravestones and shot its vines through to the coffin and fed on the decaying body within. Fresh and vibrant Cemetery Ivy with nuances of loam, wisteria and honeysuckle create an atmosphere of bliss and desolation with a touch of Bastet Amber whispering underneath the ivy.”

[weareasy]

Fresh cuts of tulips, hyacinth and hydrangea inspire a farmhouse kitchen’s lilac Ralph Lauren Paint palette #RLHome

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This photo is how Cave of Treasures feels.

[xocheel]

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Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking.

Seriously, though - expect some green floral reviews in your future.

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Perfume review: Satyr

I have actually used up both of my samples of this - a testament to how much I enjoy this perfume - thus I will be reviewing Haus of Gloi’s Satyr from memory. This not-quite-gourmand showcases a beautiful vanilla, but true to its description, it has a few fiendish tricks up its sleeve.

^ Deceptively simple.

Satyr may appear to be a simplistic scent, but I experience a little more complexity than the limited notes list implies. On initial application, this is a slightly tart orange with a creamy vanilla backdrop. Many reviews of this perfume have compared it to a creamsicle, but I don’t think that’s perfectly accurate. I get something a little more earthy and grounding that rounds out the scent and stops it from straying into pure gourmand territory. No dirt or leaf notes are to be seen, but the ‘earthy’ impression does conjure a very specific image of a warm autumn day. This is still a sweet perfume, but it isn’t as saccharine or candy-like as one might expect. Instead, this is a warm, creamy and comforting perfume with a generous dollop of vanilla that lingers for many hours after application. I believe that the ‘blackened’ vanilla listed in the notes is what prevents this from becoming too sweet or cloying. The marshmallowy, enveloping softness of the ensuing drydown is very relaxing and it’s one of my favourite things about this fragrance. Satyr’s throw is average and I find it to last 6-8 hours, the first three or four of which best showcase the orange. After that, it becomes a blackened vanilla which sits a little closer to the skin.

^ Eating a creamsicle on a warm autumn day. We don’t have creamsicles here in England, so I’ll just have to imagine this one.

Although it isn’t listed in the notes, I spoke to someone who dislikes Satyr and based on their dislike of other perfumes from the Haus, they suspect that a patchouli note might be at play. This seems to make sense with the slight earthiness accompanying the orange and vanilla, although as someone who isn’t fond of overt patchouli, it is not something I am able to individually pick out. If you’re very sensitive to this note, however, it may well be worth instead trying the seasonal Blood Orange Marshmallow also on offer from the Haus. Likewise, if you enjoy orange and vanilla perfumes, you may also enjoy The Un-Red (Cocoa Pink), Lucrezia Borgia (Deconstructing Eden), Sherbat (NAVA) or the more refreshing Slayer, The (Smelly Yeti). There is certainly no dearth of fragrances containing these notes, which perhaps attests to just how well they pair.

Satyr is available as part of Haus of Gloi’s general collection, available from their site here. As an aside, I've seen it assumed that Haus of Gloi is best for simpler perfumes, body products and gourmands, but I’ve had great luck with their more complex and atmospheric scents. I do think that Satyr would work excellently in a whipped soap, however.

Notes: Absolutely fiendish creature! And quite frolicsome: Italian blood orange drizzled with blackened vanilla.

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Perfume review: Antares

Today, I am wearing Alkemia’s Antares. A little while ago, I asked for ‘sophisticated’ scent recommendations on my favourite online haunt, /r/indiemakeupandmore. Antares was a popular recommendation which I was fortunate enough to pick up during the Sunday swaps.

^ Needs more flowers.

True to the recommendations, this really is a very sophisticated scent which has a feel closer to that of a mainstream perfume than many indies I have tried. It’s well-blended and challenging to pick out many of the individual notes. That’s not to say that Antares isn’t unique. The primary impression I get is one of rose, although this isn’t an in-your-face floral, neither does it have the jammy, fruity feel that accompanies some rose notes (looking at you, Rose of No Man’s Land). Rather than leaning powdery or jammy, this rose is well-balanced, dry, and perhaps a little unisex. The base of this perfume is very obviously woods, which complements and tempers the sweetness of the rose perfectly. I can’t pick out any individual woody notes like I often can with things containing cedar or fir, although I can tell that the oakmoss is helping to ground this scent, and the water musk does give a ‘dewy’ feel to the roses. I do think this would be a wonderful introduction to cedar for someone who is concerned about smelling like pencil sharpenings (!)

Antares is strong when compared to many perfume oils, but not cloying - its woodiness helps to prevent the rose from taking over. This perfume was inspired by a desert, but the impression I get is that of walking through a forest - not a wet, humid forest, but somewhere dry and deciduous. It’s evocative of somewhere with a clearing open to the cool night air & stars - if the above didn’t have snow visible, I think it conjures up just the sort of image that this perfume does. It has decent lasting power, but nothing extreme: ~6+ hours on my decidedly dry skin.

As with many Alkemia scents, I think this would be a beautiful ‘bridge’ perfume for individuals looking to try indies or to introduce a friend. As someone who is fond of unique scents, this was also a surprise hit for me. You can find Alkemia here, on Etsy.

Notes: Queen of the Night, Dried Wild Roses, Mandarin, Nicotania, Oakmosses, Cactus, Juniper, Acacia buds, Fir Resin, Clary Sage, Cedar Needles, Labdanum, Guaiac Wood, Germander, and White Patchouli lightly bathed in dewy Water Musk.

Small note: my apologies, as I don’t know where these photographs came from (they were saved on my hard drive). Please do let me know if you know of any image credits I should add. Thank you.

[perfumewitch]

Perfume review: Cave of Treasures

Today, I am wearing BPAL Cave of Treasures. When I purchased a decant of this, I expected a warm, thick, golden scent. Something spicy, sweet and creamy, grounded by the amber and with a hint of lilac to keep it from leaning too gourmand. That was…not what I got. However, what it DOES smell like is possibly even better. My apologies, because I’m about to wax lyrical about this scent.

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