Wednesday, September 7, 2011

A look at Solstice Scents 2011 Fall Collection



Solstice Scents can be found at www.solsticescents.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/Solstice-Scents/197081780213

I've been a fan of Solstice Scents ever since I found them on Etsy in January of 2011. Right after I received my first order and took the initial sniffs of Old Cedar Magus, Astral Temple, Spellbound Woods & Conjure, I was in love! I was totally amazed at the scents, how much I loved them and just how exact Angela's descriptions of her scents were. As I experienced each one, it was almost like I had written the descriptions for her. That's one of the reasons why I am so passionate about Solstice Scents. Too many times before I've ordered something without sniffing or using it before and been totally disappointed because it wasn't the product I thought I had ordered. That's why you'll rarely see me rate anything I purchase from Angela to be much less than stellar. I know scents like Violet Truffle and German Chocolate Cake won't work for me. (insert stomach growl here)

In addition to that, Angela has quite a selection for everyone. There's sweet, foody, flowery scents and then there's a large selection of usually forgotten scents which are darker, resinous and herbal.

This was my first Fall collection of Solstice Scents and I was hoping that there would be plenty of her darker blends available. I was incredibly pleased! Almost everything in the collection that I ordered was complete win for me.

I couldn't even wait to get home to open the box!   I cleared my desk off at work and immediately started sniffing away!


MANOR- Woody-Vanilla Musk, Vanilla Accord, glorious Black Agarwood and exquisite Aloeswood ★★★★★

(this review was originally posted on the Lush forums)

OMG, this is the most INCREDIBLE scent I've had the chance to smell in a very long time! It's quite hard to describe, but I'm going to try...

Opened vial whiff is amaaaaaaaaaazing! I had to whiff it a few times because I couldn't decide if it was sweet or not, but it is. I really don't like sweet scents that much. BUT... Manor has a sweetness that is not the typical sickeningly sweet that you think of from candy type scents.

I'm NUTS about the initial scent! I can't pick out all of the notes, because some of them I'm not sure if I've smelled before. It's incensy in the beginning (almost like a Frankincense but not really), with vanilla, some wood notes with just a hint of a piney woodsy smell. There's also a bit of a resiny scent... a tiny bit like an amber. REALLY wonderful! It almost smells damp, a bit dark. Imagining an old manor.. just like it's name. There's a musty musk note too that really adds to the whole "atmosphere" (and there's a TON of atmosphere to this scent).

I've had it on for a few hours now and this scent morphs! As it's drying down I can still smell the vanilla (not a typical SS vanilla... I think Angela something somewhere about how this is a new different vanilla), not as much of the incense and resin. It still has the sweet note, but there's also a bit of a spice note too (not the normal herbal spice like clove or such) along with a woodsy scent without that piney note.

If I were to describe it without using scent notes, I think it would be a lot like the name. An abandoned old house, damp and filled with memories and scents of past owners.

I really like this scent! It's VERY unique, unlike anything I've smelled before... including other SS scents. BUT, there's also a bit of something familiar to it too. It wears extremely well and it's not a light or a fast wearing scent. I don't have to smell my wrists or shirt... I just get a whiff of it from sitting here, but it's not overpowering at all. Manor will definitely be in the top list of my favorites, that's for SURE.

THORNWOOD THICKET Sugared Blackberries, Black Agarwood, Aloeswood, sweet & smokey Guaiacwood, Amber ★★★

I was afraid to try this scent, since I'm really not a fruity or foody scent type of person. Angela kept remarking to me about how wonderful the drydown of this scent was.

Upon opening and taking a whiff, there is a strong scent of blackberries... almost a grape scent. Behind it, you can faintly smell the incense in the background. I hesitated trying it because I'm really not fond of berry smells.

The scent starts out the same way on my skin... very berry and very grape. The drydown still contains the berry note, but the incense does become stronger. Angela had told me it reminds her of the berry incense from years ago, and she's totally right, it does!

After it was on for a few hours, I started to tire of the berry. It did fade a bit to the background, but was still strong enough to be a tad bit too much for me. At the end of the day, it did tone way down and it was a great combination of berry and incense.

Trying this scent, I found that I really am not a lover of wearing berry. Even though it was a nice combination, sadly it's not really something that I would want to wear day after day. It will probably be much better received by people who are more into the fruity scents.

GEHENNA Red Musk, Dragon's Blood Resin, Burning Wood, Somalian Myrrh, Egyptian Musk ★★★★★

I don't really have that much knowledge as to what types of musk smell like what, but I have to say Angela did some wonderful blending with this scent!

Anyone who enjoys her Dragon's Blood perfume will most certainly like this one. Even if you're not a lover of Dragon's Blood, the blending of this scent makes it much softer and not nearly as strong as it is by itself.

Cold whiff is mostly the Dragon's Blood to me (which I happen to love). The funny thing was I thought to myself "Why would Angela make a scent that is so close to one that she already has?". Well, immediately after applying it, I totally understood. This blend starts out on your skin with not only the Dragon's Blood, but also a musk (which I assume is the Red Musk). She mentions that the initial scent is more musky with the DB kicking in later, but it seemed the opposite for me. It could possibly be that my nose detected the DB first because that was the first scent I could identify. After being on for a few minutes, this scent REALLY blooms. The Dragon's Blood calms down and it opens up all types of scents from musk to a smokey resiny incense. The final drydown hours later is a lovely soft musk.

These types of blends are why I'm such a Solstice Scents addict. Comparing Angela's Dragon's Blood to this scent really shows how much of a master she is at her craft. This scent will definitely be worn quite often!

FOXCROFT ozone, rich black soil, rustling leaves and chimney smoke ★★★★★

Let me just start by saying WOW! I just LOVE this scent. If you want a scent that morphs like MANOR, this is it!

This is not a scent to just open the bottle, take a whiff and decide whether you like it or not. It's very hard for me to pick out the actual scent notes in this blend... this is more of a sensory recall. When I first took a whiff, I was almost slapped in the face with a green note, but not a spring type of green. It's a bit darker, which instantly tells you this isn't going to be what you expect.

After a few minutes, the green note subsides a bit, but I can still smell it there. In addition, the other notes start to bloom... and like Gehenna, it morphs into something beautiful... combining together to create the perfect smell of an Autumn day. The smoke note reminded me of how in Fall when I was growing up, our neighbors would burn their dried leaves in their backyard.

This scent is not dark, but not bright either... perfect for Fall. It's woodsy, crisp, damp and smokey. Perfect for my favorite time of year. Another scent that has quickly become a favorite!

Side Note: Angela was right about the bath salts and whipped soap being different than the perfume. They are much darker (which of course I love), but still give the impression of an autumn... perhaps a cloudy, cooler day.

WITCH'S COTTAGE Warm Baked Goods, Dried Herbs, Sweet Annie, Soft Woods, Fragrant Hearth Smoke ★★★★★

Another complete surprise! Whenever I see the words "baked" or "sweet", I tend to run away from the scent. I would much rather be eating delicious pastries and bread rather than smelling like them. So, I was hesitant with this one, but I always love how Angela uses her smoke notes so wonderfully.

Once again, she proved me wrong! When I first put this scent on, yes, I could smell the sweet baked goods note... BUT along with that were some beauuuuuuuuuuuutiful herbal notes. Not herbally as in overpowering oregano.. but herbal as in a soft combination of herbs. I kept smelling my wrists recognizing a very familiar scent in the background.. one I instantly said to myself "oh, I LOVE this... what is it?". I actually had to go to the computer to read Angela's scent notes to see what it was. It was the Sweet Annie!


I have been a LONG time lover of Sweet Annie which always reminds me of the fall. So many primitive shops I have been in along with fall festivals would have this dried herb made into swags or wreaths. The first time I smelled it, I fell in love and have identified the fall season with this scent. We always have a wreath or a swag that has lots of it hanging somewhere in our house.

So, the combination of the baked goods along with the herbs, a bit of apple and the lovely smoke notes make this a perfect blend. It's not too sweet, foody, herbally or smoky. It's warm, comforting and really invokes the fall season for me. Just lovely!!

DEVIL'S TONGUE Chypre, Brown Leather, Warm Tobacco, Woods and More ★★★★★

I was really looking forward to this scent after reading the description. It's very much right up my alley with the scent notes that Angela had listed. The only problem is sometimes I find leather notes in perfumes to be overpowering at times and also a bit "fake".

The minute I put this on it grabbed me. I think it was the combination of the Bergamot and Oakmoss. Those two scents have become favorites of mine, especially where Angela's products are concerned. It starts out VERY earthy and just like her description mentions... then comes the leather and tobacco. This leather note is GLORIOUS! It's not that fakey leather scent that bothers me so much. This is very warm... soft, but strong. It doesn't smell artificial at all. Combine that with a warm tobacco note and I'm in heaven! What makes this scent so great is it's not just leather and tobacco... it's combined with amber, sandlewood, vanilla and other scents to round it out.

It's strong and masculine, yet dries down to a softer combination of some of my favorite scent notes. LOVE this!

WAIL OF THE BANSHEE(bath salts) Earthy-Aquatic Fragrance Featuring Patchouli, Smokey Vetiver, Fresh Rain, Peat Bogs, Irish Moss, Woods and a Fresh Crash of Salty Waves. ★★★★★

It's not a secret that I absolutely adore Angela's bath salts. They are relaxing, yet are so revitalizing at the same time. If you haven't tried one of her's... you need to grab one in a scent that peaks your interest. While there won't be glitter, fancy colors or bubbles.. it's certainly not needed to have a bath that really does something other than look pretty!

Wail of the Banshee reminded me so much of Ireland. This could easily be a scent released in a Celtic collection of some sort (hint to Angela... that's part of the huge email I have been wanting to send to you for months!) It's like being in a mossy bog on the Emerald Isle. It's damp with a bit of fog... maybe a peat fire burning in the distance? A cloudy day... not bright whatsoever. This scent creates such atmosphere in the bath!

CRUMBLING CRYPT(bath salts) All Natural Dark and Earthy Blend of Cedar, Cypress, Spruce, Patchouli, Amyris, Violet Leaf Absolute, Oakmoss and More ★★★★★

The main note was the moss for me, but I also got woody notes, the spruce, cedar and an overall herbal note. It was mossy, very dark, dank and kind of "wet". I really LOVED this scent and have been wanting to try it ever since it appeared in Angela's scent list as "Crypt of the Wizard". A fantastic bath, but be forewarned... if you're not a lover of darker scents, this one may not be for you. Crumbling Crypt will make a great bath on a cool Autumn night!

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In addition to the above, Solstice Scents also released three glycerine soaps in CONJURE, MONSTER MASH & CANDIED YAMS and MARSHMALLOW. These soaps are usually released each Fall, so I wasn't around when they were available last year. Since I love Conjure and Monster Mash, I know I will really enjoy them in bar soap. Angela's soaps are some of my favorites. They're not drying at all, are heavily scented, and are so beautiful to look at. The only suggestion is to make sure (as with all glycerine soaps) to not leave them in standing water or in a stream of water for too long. They will wear down quite quickly. I was hesitant to order the Candied Yams & Marshmallow because the words "candied" and "marshmallow" sound very sweet to me, but... the idea of pumpkin and spice in a bar soap made me take the plunge! I haven't tried it yet, but will make a post when I do.



Last, but definitely not least was the first appearance of Solstice Scents HOME FRAGRANCE OILS. Angela had mentioned in the past about wanting to experiment with fragrance oils and had been testing them, but until the actual announcement of the products in her fall collection, no one was really sure if they would make an appearance or not. The first to be released were oils in CONJURE, MONSTER MASH and HARVEST MOON.

Wow, just wow! If you think wearing Angela's creations are enjoyable, just try scenting your space with them! I've tried all three and to be honest, they all work equally beautifully. She suggests that you use them by themselves in a soapstone burner, which is exactly the way I've been using them. They heat up fast, fill the room quickly with scent and do not overpower your nose. I've found that they hold their scent for a long time.. at least until your tea light burns out. The next time you use it, there only needs to be a dropper or less of oil added to refresh the scent. They burn clean without excess smoke and the heating of the oil doesn't distort the original fragrance at all! From the chatter on Facebook and the forums, I gather they're becoming quite popular and hope that Angela will continue to expand the line. These oils really compliment the entire Solstice Scents experience. I can't recommend them enough. ★★★★★

I know this was a longggggggggggggggg blog, but there was so much to chat about and I've never made a blog about, let alone reviewed Solstice Scents. If you haven't tried them... DO. It's aromatherapy at it's BEST!

-Rob






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