Deconstructing Eden Halloween Release Reviews: Bloodletting + It Can't Rain All The Time + It's Only Magic + Sanguine Addiction + Silver Bullet

It's almost HALLOWEEN. I'm scooching in juuuust in time with DE's Halloween collection. I believe this collection will be going down November 1st (correct me if I'm wrong). So, not to FOMO the indie community but uh, get it before it goes to the hereafter.

As a note: I know my update schedule has been erratic. I need to adjust my workflow (and several things about it) in order to prevent this from happening again. What I plan to do is to take a week off soon (I know, I know) and spend it getting a backlog/queue running again. This will allow me to do bigger review batches (since testing more than 4 scents at a time muddles the smells for me) and to do things like photograph several reviews at once. I'm probably going to do five more review sets (S92, Little & Grim, Nui Cobalt, Sihaya and Divona) then take the week off and get ahead on reviews. Thank-you guys for your patience!

The perfumes covered in today's review are:

• Bloodletting [ store link ]
• It Can't Rain All The Time [ store link ]
• It's Only Magic [ store link ]
• Sanguine Addiction [ store link ]
• Silver Bullet [ store link ]

Methods

All perfumes in this review were allowed to rest for several days ( a few weeks for these scents) after arrival. The perfumes were kept in the dark in a plastic box if small enough. If too large for a box they generally sit on top of a bookcase or bedside table, or inside of a drawer. I did crack them open to sniff them directly after arrival, and with a couple to do an initial test. The reviews are not based off of these initial impressions - though if a rest did change the smell I’ll note that.

I’m doing a half-hour skin test with each perfume. They are always applied to skin that has either been washed or hasn’t had perfume on it that day. Sometimes I will run one scent on one wrist/hand/arm and the other on the other wrist/hand/arm. When I wash my hands for review purposes I wash with Dove sensitive skin, honeysuckle Meyer’s Clean Day or citrus Doc Bronner’s.

Before doing test periods I often wear or play with other scents in my collection (that I wash off). I also am often wearing scented lotion on my feet and ankles (that I do not wash off). Sometimes I wear scented hair products simultaneously. Theoretically there could be cross-contamination.

For spray perfumes/EDPs: I gently give them a little shake. I then wrap my arm in a towel except for the test area (again, top of the arm or back of the hand.) I then spritz the EDP on with a couple of pumps then remove the towel. The goal is to keep the EDP restricted to the test area.

Each review is written without looking at the notes in that moment. Frequently I will glance at a perfume’s notes beforehand. At the end of the review I will list what the official notes are and comment on how I think they interacted.

Bottle Review

See my review of Deconstructing Eden's Sample Bottles [ here ].

A quick note before jumping into the reviews: Because I cannot get DE's sample bottles open the bottle-sniff section of the reviews is eliminated. Additionally, since these are all EDPs and EDPs tend to dry quickly I've combined the drydown and wet section... often by the time I'm finishing typing the description of what I'm smelling EDPs have dried substantially.

A reminder: Each nose is different and each skin’s chemistry is different. Your mileage may vary.

Bloodletting

Wet on my skin/Drydown: Warm amber and berries. Tiny bit of copperiness at the edges. Muskiness at the base. Contrast between purple berry-like fruit and musk with the resinousness of the amber-like scent and copper. There might also be a floral in here - but it’s more fruity-musky than fruity-floral. A little wet smell in there too.

After 30 mins: Still fruity-musky and sweet to the point almost of being gourmand. It’s wearing fainter than it was. Something in here reminds me a bit of the scent of freshly baked bread - I wonder if it is the scent of orange blossoms combining with something.

Overall it smells like wet, sugary, berries or grapes layered over orange blossoms and amber (combining to smell kind of like nutty, fresh bread) with a musky base. Tiny, tiny bit of copperiness in here. It reminds me of smelling kind of like a can of grape soda opened by someone who’s recently been handling fresh bread.

Official Notes: Clean skin, our interpretation of blood, (wine, crushed berries, copper), cracked mirrors

I can see the ‘clean skin’ being that amber-and-orange-blossom smell that reminds me of fresh bread and probably some of the musk. The blood accord leans heavily towards sweet, wet berries with just a tiny touch of copper. The cracked mirrors have me a bit stumped - there is something additional in here, that kind of wetness and what honestly reminds me of the CO2 ‘fizz’ in soda, but it’s very faint after half an hour.

Verdict: Pleasantly fruity and musky. Not sure how I feel about this one in terms of upsizing. I’ve actually tried this one twice and the first time I didn’t give it a good hard shake and it smelled a lot more fruity - very kind of ‘mature grape soda’. This time the nutty, golden skin-scent came out more. For me I think I’m going to keep my sample to experiment with some more and see

It Can’t Rain All The Time

Wet on my skin/Drydown: A strong wave of initial earthiness: wet concrete, mulch, dirt, and moss. Peaking behind that is something brighter - somewhere between pale yellow and white - but it’s the occasional whiff in a sea of earthy atmospheric.

After 30 mins: Still pretty strongly earthy, but that pale scent is peeking through more. It’s sort of somewhere between a resin and a floral - clean, cool, and bright. The earthy notes are very, very realistic to how my yard smells after a rainstorm - wet concrete, mulch, dirt, moss and damp leaves.

Official Notes: Cold rain, asphalt, the promise of sun

So, the wet notes are the cold rain. The asphalt is the wet concrete. I get a lot more earthy/slightly green notes in here than just asphalt though. The bright note -whatever it is - is the ‘promise of sun’.

Solid throw on this one.

Verdict: Not my thing - I’m not deeply into earthy scents. However, if you’re looking for a ‘semi-foresty-front-yard-with-a-concrete-walking-path-after-a-rainstorm’ realistic scent then give this a spin.

It’s Only Magic

Wet on my skin/Drydown: Spicy herbal. From the bottle there’d been a strong, slightly medicinal note. Here I get a strongly spiced musk - slightly masculine - layered over woody undertones with a medicinal tang and a waft of herbs (sage maybe?). A very ‘hippie’ scent to my nose - kind of savory herbal.

After 30 mins: Herbal smell at the top now - reminds me of sage, but also a little of anise. Spicy musk wreaths that. Most of the medicinal smell has burned off now - maybe a hint of something like camphor. Still kind of masculine, and kinda ‘hippie’ in that dark, spicy way. Bit of woody undertones at the base.

Official Notes: Incense, salt, herbs (lavender, rosemary, sage, and wormwood).

So the incense must be what I’m reading as spicy musk - think more nag champa than a really resinous incense. I can see the salt in here with the word in front of me - I think that’s what’s making this kind of ‘savory’ to my nose.

I’m guessing the medicinal note is a combination of the rosemary and lavender. As the scent wears on they wear more herbal - but at the most only go slightly sweet. The lavender only gives the barest hint of being a floral; it’s much more on the herbal side. The sage is the sage. The wormwood is both what’s woody and what kind of reminds me of anise.

Mild throw.

Verdict: This reads as a ‘kitchen gourmand’ with hippie-musk to me… which is not my thing. But it might be your thing if you’re into more savory herbs and ‘kitchen’ gourmands.

Sanguine Addiction

Wet on my skin/Drydown: Neroli, cinnamon, a waft of fruit and a faint metallic scent layered over red musk and resin. Wet on my skin this a glowing fruity floral contrasting reds and golds in slashes of flame. Am I getting flowery with my praise? Absolutely. Because this is what I’ve been looking for in fall scents.

I want mountains painted in red and gold, leaves of flame, and the thinning of the veil at sunset and this is delivering y’all. It’s spicy, it’s golden, it’s honeyed, it’s red; it’s got that bit of citrus, bit of floral, sweetness contrasted with something sharp and dark.

After 30 mins: Pretty stable to wet/drydown. Perhaps a bit more sweet. But you’re still getting a red-and-gold combo of a sweet flower, fruit (maybe cherries, maybe citrus, maybe both), resin and a tiny bit of metallic tang in there. Maybe a little musk - but I think that might be part of the floral note or maybe some honey.

Official Notes: Red wine, unholy water, gunsmoke, white skin musk

So the wine is the fruit, the unholy water must be that floral + cinnamon + resin, the gunsmoke is what smells a tiny bit metallic to it. The white skin musk is the smooth musk that makes me think of musk/honey.

Mild throw, but plenty of scent in close to the skin.

Verdict: Upsize! I guess I’ll be doing a Deconstructing Eden order in the next 30 hours or so.

Silver Bullet

Wet on my skin/Drydown: Musky leather and fur with a slightly metallic edge. Very masculine and dark. There’s something bright along with the metallic smell - maybe something… floral? An amber? No clue. It’s very faint - I’m figuring that’s a ‘silver’ accord. Leather is dark, and right on the border between soft and acrid (there’s something to it reminiscent of gasoline to my nose). It’s a biker werewolf boyfriend in a bottle.

After 30 mins: Silvery smells at the top over gasoline, leather, and smoke with an edge of fur. It’s a pretty straightforward werewolf biker boyfriend scent. Masculine, a little harsh, smooth and dark.

Soft throw, plenty of scent in close to the skin.

Official Notes: Hot silver, dark fur, and dark musk.

So the silvery notes are the silver… and I wonder if the gasoline-like smell is part of that. The dark fur is the fur. I figure the dark musk must be what’s smelling both masculine and like leather.

Verdict: Not sure - probably not an upsize (I can’t see personally wearing it often enough), but torn on whether to keep my sample or not. It’s a nice werewolf biker boyfriend scent… but I don’t know how often I want to be the werewolf biker boyfriend. I recommend this for all who want to smell like a werewolf biker boyfriend or have someone in their lives they want to smell like a werewolf biker boyfriend.

5 Sucreabeille Reviews: Crucible + Arcaneum + Lodestone + Aqua Vitae + Philosopher's Stone

Sucreabeille is having a sale right now and I could, were I more professional, pretend I set this review set to sync with that. The reality is I'm behind on my review deadlines and the days just happened to line up. But! If any of these reviews have you thinking about a purchase this weekend is the time to do so since Suc is getting s-s-s-p-p-ooky with their prices.

Before going into these reviews I've got to mention: The Alchemist set, as a whole, I suspect was not for me as it were. I'm sensitive to decay notes. I prefer my autumn scents light and fiery or twilighty/misty or cold and open like a board plain. This collection as a whole was heavy and evoked a sense of 'chemical', 'decay', or 'acrid' in almost every scent. It runs earthy and involves lots of dark browns and reds. So if you're a fan of that vibe it might be worth exploring more reviews than just mine because our tastes are pretty different.

The scents covered in today's review are:

• Crucible [ store link ]
• Arcaneum [ store link ]
• Lodestone [ store link ]
• Aqua Vitae [ store link ]
• Philosopher's Stone [ store link ]

Methods

All perfumes in this review were allowed to rest for several days ( a couple of weeks for these scents) after arrival. The perfumes were kept in the dark in a plastic box if small enough. If too large for a box they generally sit on top of a bookcase or bedside table, or inside of a drawer. I did crack them open to sniff them directly after arrival, and with a couple to do an initial test. The reviews are not based off of these initial impressions - though if a rest did change the smell I’ll note that.

I’m doing a half-hour skin test with each perfume. They are always applied to skin that has either been washed or hasn’t had perfume on it that day. Sometimes I will run one scent on one wrist/hand/arm and the other on the other wrist/hand/arm. When I wash my hands for review purposes I wash with Dove sensitive skin, honeysuckle Meyer’s Clean Day or citrus Doc Bronner’s.

Before doing test periods I often wear or play with other scents in my collection (that I wash off). I also am often wearing scented lotion on my feet and ankles (that I do not wash off). Sometimes I wear scented hair products simultaneously. Theoretically there could be cross-contamination.

For oils: Each sample was gently swirled before application (except for one - see notes in the scent review). Then applied directly to skin - typically the top of my arm or the back of my hand.

Each review is written without looking at the notes in that moment. Frequently I will glance at a perfume’s notes beforehand. At the end of the review I will list what the official notes are and comment on how I think they interacted.

Bottle Review

You can see my review of Sucreabeille's 10ml bottles [ here ].

A reminder: Each nose is different and each skin’s chemistry is different. Your mileage may vary.

Note: With this set I didn't individually note the throw and longevity of the scents: They all wore quite heavily and with minimal morphing after they dried down (aside from Aqua Vitae). They also all had solid throws.

Crucible

In the bottle: Complex, lemon-like scent at the top. Perhaps lemon verbena? Something herbal under that. It could be part of the verbena (if it is verbena) or it could be another herb (maybe anise?). After that I feel like I’m getting something kind of metallic (though that could just be me reading the scent’s name into the scent). At the base it’s a little musky, a little green. It kind of reminds me of the scent of lemon throat lozenges.

Wet on my skin: Lemony top note, below that is a scent I recognize as galbanum (resinous green - smells a little wintry). Edge of an herb. There’s a touch of sweetness in this - maybe a bit of honey (that might be also what pinged me as musky). Tiny bit of metallicness to it. Kind of reminds me of a lemon-honey throat lozenge, or lemon-honey herbal tea.

Drydown: An edge of the lemon at the top - the most prominent notes now are the sweet note and the herbal note (almost certain this is anise). So like, at the top I’m getting an edge of lemon/lemon verbena with anise. Below that a bit of galbanum, and a bunch of a musky-sweet smell. Almost no metallic note now. Smells a lot like sweet, herbal tea.

After 30 mins: Stable to the drydown - perhaps even more anise in it, but otherwise about the same.

Official Notes: smoky palo santo, mysterious absinthe with bright drops of bergamot and oranges, Atlas cedar, sweet fennel, bitter accord

So the lemony smell is the bergamot and oranges - probably blending some with the cedar. The anise smell is the absinthe - and at this point it’s the strongest part of the scent. The fennel and palo santo are blending some with the anise. I can get a tiny edge of the palo santo with the name in front of me. The fennel must be adding the sweetness too. The bitter accord is, I bet, where I’m getting that scent that made me think of galbanum.

Verdict: A little too medicinal and heavy for my personal tastes. Passing it on.

Arcaneum

In the bottle: This has that same dark brown sweet-decay note that Alchemist, Bezoar, and Alembic all have. I’m guessing it’s a degree of indole mixed with an ingredient they have in common. My nose reads it as ‘leather’ but since all of those have gourmand components I’m guessing it’s how sweet-gourmands interact with indole.

This scent dominates in the bottle for me. I’m pretty much just getting decaying leather + sweet smell.

Wet on my skin: Citrus at the top - like an orange tart or something. Under that is what smells like smokey leather, and woods… all wreathed in that sweet-decay smell. There’s also something buttery, almost oily in here.

I pretty rapidly go anosmic to most of the scent up close. In the throw I mostly get the sweet-decay-with-a-bit-of orange along with that oily smell.

Drydown: Something that’s either a white floral or a citrus at the top. I legitimately can’t tell. It’s blending with that indole-and-gourmand scent. Beneath that I’m getting smoke and leather, an edge of a wood and that oily scent. In the past when I’ve gotten an oily I quickly go partially anosmic to it’s usually a musk or a pumpkin scent.

This smells a ton like Alchemist/Alembic - maybe a little more sweet/floral. But if you liked those two this one is another companion to them. It’s not dissimilar from the decay notes in Bezoar either.

After 30 mins: The smell is very faint up close, but stronger in the throw. I get that citrusy, floraly smell at the top - kind of reminds me of orange icing. Beneath that smoke, leather, and maybe some pumpkins. Tiny bit of that woody-resinous base… and then the whole thing wreathed in sweet-decay.

Official Notes: Oakmoss and labdanum grows on the ancient stone walls of a legendary library. The last peach blossoms blow through the air as autumn sets in, and the last meyer lemon hangs from the tree. Rows and piles of ancient tomes sit, waiting, while students read by the light of carefully protected wax candles.

This one is a shocker because all of those notes I should like. I can see the white floral, and I can see the lemon. The labdanum is probably the resinous smell at the base. I get none of the oakmoss or stone. The wax might be that kind of oily/musky note I’m getting and smoke could be part of the candle accord.

But this scent is another one heavy on sweet decay smells and they dominate the scent. Everything comes through a layer of ‘decaying leather books in a basement’. It makes the scent really heavy.

Verdict: If you’re a fan of Alchemist, Bezoar, and Alembic give this one a shot because it’s the slightly-more-floral-and-citrus sibling of those three scents. Decay rich. A pass from me.

Lodestone

In the bottle: Minty-sweet and cold - kind of astringent. Clean in a dark, cold, herbal way. Kind of like peppermint candies laid out on glass and stone. Harsh, sweet, minty and ozonic.

Wet on my skin: Definitely mint at the top , below that is something slightly green and kind of resinous and something sweet bordering on gourmand. Under all of that are strong astringent notes - ozone and stone.
Think cookies with mint frosting laid out on a freezing morning on cold stone and glass.

Drydown: Mint and something harshly resinous at the top - almost chemical. Under that is a smell between hot coals and freshly baked cookies. Very sweet and hot. Under that is a cold smell that’s somewhere between ozonic, metallic, and a ‘stone’ or ‘glass’ note.

After 30 mins: Okay, so, it’s mostly stable to the drydown. Mint, green-resinous-herbalness, hot coals/fresh cookies, and then a cold atmospheric base. BUT this is also kind of reminding me of Afterglow, so I’m wondering if this has a chocolate note? Or an amber one?

Official Notes: Chocolate peppermint fudge and a fizz of late autumn figs

Oh hey it does have a chocolate note.

So the peppermint is the peppermint - the chocolate is the chocolate. The figs are probably that hot coals/fresh cookies smell. The fudge is adding sweetness. I think that’s adding that ozonic tang is that that fizz. I have no clue what’s adding those harsh, almost chemical astringent note and the stone/glass note. Is that the ‘late autumn’ part? The way the fizz and the mint interact? I know Suc’s ‘fizzy’ note can run metallic.

Verdict: I think I’d like this a lot more with 50% less peppermint, and with another, smoother note in place of the fizz. Right now this is kind of a weird clash between a gourmand and an atmospheric.
I kinda get what Sucreabeille was going for with the Alchemist collection… something darker and a little more challenging than their usual perfumes. But this one is too harsh to my nose - especially for a gourmand. A pass from me.

Aqua Vitae

Fair warning - I remember one of these scents was key lime pie and coconut cream and I deeply suspect it was this one.
Also, this one had some hardcore separation in the bottle and had to be shaken vigorously to reblend before application.

In the bottle: Limes! Maybe a touch of a baked good note. The limes are sweet, soft, and almost floral in quality.

Wet on my skin: Sweet, soft limes dominate the scent, flanked by creamy-nutty coconut and a hint of a baked good note. It’s a heavy-sweet lime scent, almost like a limeade.

Drydown: The lime has moved to a bit of tartness at the edges - more citric acid than anything. Which is a shame because the way the lime opens up in this is really stellar.

I’m getting more of the baked good note - it and the coconut cream dominate the scent… and then a bit of subtle, dark, chemicalness that the lime hid. I’m not sure what it is, but it reminds me of Lodestone so maybe I’m getting some cross contamination (though I did wash off between scents). Perhaps there’s a fizzy note or the ‘baked good’ note in this is reminding me of lodestone? Not sure. But while the opening of this scent was fantastic the drydown has left me kind of sad. I wish it were less acrid, less ozonic, and that more of the lime had been retained.

After 30 mins: Unfortunately about the same as the drydown minus the baked goods. I’m just getting a tiny bit of lime, that kind of ozonic-chemical smell, a very tiny hint of baked good, and coconut cream. While Suc’s coconut cream is good it’s not enough to offset that kind of acrid note which gives this a kind of dryer sheet quality.

Official Notes: Fizzing key limes topped with coconut cream, served on a black linen tablecloth

Ah-ha! There is a fizz note in common - that’s what’s coming across as kind of chemical in this. What smells ‘clean’/ozonic to me is probably the black linen textile note. The limes and the coconut are the well… limes and coconut. The nuances between the coconut and linen notes are probably what creates that baked good impression.

Verdict: This was so, so good wet. But as the limes and the nutty parts of the coconut died back all it left were the ozonic/detergent/textile notes. I think this would make a good soap or lotion but I can’t see wearing it as a perfume. For people who like ‘clean’ scents (and also limes and coconut) give this one a spin. A tragic pass from me.

Philosopher’s Stone

In the bottle: Golden floral at the top - kind of reminds me of orchids. A tiny bit indolic but not overly so. Very classical smelling. Beneath that I’m getting something kind of spicy (clove maybe?) and something herbal. The whole thing has a kind of floral-medicinal smell to it. Maybe a touch of white musk in there too.

Wet on my skin: Cinnamon, clove, that classical floral, something creamy, and something earthy at the base in that order. Very, very slightly indolic - the correct degree to get ‘living flower’ smell without crossing over too hard into ‘rot’. The earthy note at the base might be coffee? It kind of smells like flowers and spiced coffee.

Drydown: Coffee, fallen leaves, spices, and a touch of a slightly indolic floral - like an orchid. It smells relatively simple but it’s one of the most autumnal scents of the Alchemist collection.

After 45 mins: Stable to the drydown. At the top I get the coffee - kind of an espresso, dark bitter coffee, and below that the fallen leaves and spices. At the edges I get that floral. There might be another earthy component at the base but it’s hard to separate from the coffee.

Official Notes: Rain beats on old, weathered cobblestones. A cup of your favorite hot mocha steams next to a bowl of black cherries and black currants. A sprig of wormwood sits, waiting.

So, the rain on stone notes I think is what I’m reading as fallen leaves. It smells like fallen leaves do around here. The mocha is the coffee - I’d say it’s more espresso-y than chocolaty. I think the cherries might be what I was reading as an indolic floral, and the black currants might be what I was reading as a spice. I think the wormwood is the earthy note at the base I was getting.

Verdict: While I like this one the best of the batch that I tried today it’s not one I can see myself wearing. Going to pass it on, but it’s definitely the most autumnal scent of the night.

4 Sihaya Reviews: Ember and Mallow ( candle ) + Butterbeer ( candle ) + Courage ( vegan lip balm) + Intelligence ( vegan lip balm)

So! While this review set is flagged as 'press sample' only the Ember & Mallow candle here was a press sample - The Butterbeer candle and lip balms I grabbed off the Suc indie marketplace because 1) I've been impressed with Sihaya's quality and 2) SpArKlY CaNdlEs. Since these were purchased through the IM they're the vegan versions of the lip balms - the non-vegan versions (which might have a different texture!) can be found [ here ].

I'm still trying to figure out how to best photograph candles for review - so bear with me. I want to get pictures of them lit but trying to balance the exposure with an open flame is uh, a challenge. But I want y'all to know Sihaya Candles are gorgeous when you first crack open the tin.

The products covered in today's review are:

• Ember and Mallow ( candle ) [ store link ]
• Butterbeer ( candle ) [ store link ]
• Courage ( lip balm ) [ store link]
• Intelligence ( lip balm) [ store link ]

Apologies for smudging on the E+M label - this is what happens when you light candles while in the bath!

Methods

All products in this review were allowed to rest for several days ( a couple of weeks for these scents) after arrival. The products were kept out of direct sunlight - either on my bedside table or in my bathroom. I did crack them open to sniff them directly after arrival, and with a couple to do an initial test. The reviews are not based off of these initial impressions - though if a rest did change the smell I’ll note that.

Before doing test periods I often wear or play with other scents in my collection (that I wash off). I also am often wearing scented lotion on my feet and ankles (that I do not wash off). Sometimes I wear scented hair products simultaneously. Theoretically there could be cross-contamination.

For products other than perfumes the testing procedure for that item will be covered in the review itself if necessary. If the item has a standard use procedure just assume I am using that unless stated otherwise. E. G. for soaps assume I washed my hands or took a bath with them, for lotions assume I used them on my skin and gently rubbed them in, etc.

Each review is written without looking at the notes in that moment (insomuch as that is possible). Frequently I will glance at a perfume’s notes beforehand. At the end of the review I will list what the official notes are and comment on how I think they interacted.

Packaging Review

The lip balms are packaged in a standard Chapstick-style tube. This seems to work quite well for them. They were sealed to show they hadn't been tampered with when I got them. The design of the labeling on these looks very professional and tasteful... while still holding on to the whimsy of its inspiration.

The candles are packaged in metal tins. These tins seem to work fairly well - however, with their size vs the wick I have had some issues with candle tunneling (that I go into later). With multiple wicks these tins would work very well.

A reminder: Each nose is different and each skin’s chemistry is different. Your mileage may vary.

Ember and Mallow

Unlit: Rich woodsmoke and toasted marshmallows. The toasted marshmallows are nutty, almost like skin musk - very soft and mildly sweet (think about the sweetness level of roasted nuts). The woodsmoke is further forward than the marshmallows. This is an atmospheric with a soft, comforting edge that lives in a gourmand place somewhere between roasted nuts and toasted marshmallows.

Freshly lit: After a few seconds of burning the candle has a soft scent-cloud around it. I’m mainly getting the woodsmoke which is enhanced by the scent of the warm wax and flame. There is a faint undercurrent radiating out from the candle of the toasted, nutty marshmallow, which, when lit, has some additional deep toasty-sweetness. It’s not a deeply sugary candle - more rich dark golden scent colors underscored with a brighter, warmer gold from the marshmallow.

After half an hour: Getting nice waves of scent sitting a couple of feet away. It smells about like how the candle smells unlit. That woodsmoke/burning wood smell is really nice and contrasts well with the ultra-toasty marshmallow. It’s a simple combination but it works very nicely for simulating a bonfire… without having a bonfire or you know, smoke blowing in your eyes and stinging you while someone smugly comments ‘Oh, don’t worry - smoke follows beauty!’ and you’re like ‘Gee, Sharon, I thought it was the wind that smoke followed and you took the upwind seat’.

After an hour: My bedroom is suffused with soft woodsmoke and toasted marshmallow. Most of the time the two are balanced - but every so often there’s a bit of excitement when I get a waft of almost pure toasted marshmallow or pure woodsmoke. It’s really nice.

My husband wandered in at one point and went ‘Oh, that’s nice. Smells like a cabin in the woods”.

Official notes: Vanilla marshmallows toasted over a smoky Autumn bonfire

Yup! Both are there. The marshmallows are very toasty.

Verdict: Really like it! Will definitely be burning this one during the fall and winter - though for me it’s more of a cold weather scent. Richly smokey, soft, mildly sweet, and woodsy. Keeping my candle.

Update: I’ve since burned this one several times and it’s dawned on me that the wood in it is specifically kind of a birchy wood. So think burning birch and evergreens for the burning wood portion.

Butterbeer

Unlit: Butterscotch with an undercurrent of a kind of grain scent… but mostly butterscotch.

Freshly lit: Fresh Quaker brown sugar and maple syrup oatmeal with edges of butterscotch and maybe some whipped cream.

As a candle this one begins throwing odor exceptionally quickly. It’s very rich.

After half an hour: The smell is fairly stable butterscotch, whipped cream, and that brown sugar-and-maple-syrup oatmeal. This candle has filled the space around it with the scent which rolls over in waves. Very nice for lovers of gourmand/candy room scents.

After an hour: Scent is still going strong, and it’s still stable (butterscotch/whipped cream/oatmeal. One thing I will note is that the melt from the center is only about an inch away from the flame at this point. As I mentioned above I’m having a tiny bit of an issue with candle tunneling with these candles - and it looks like this one is starting to tunnel instead of melting straight across. I do think with the diameter of the melted circle ( about 2 inches across) a second, or even third wick would get an even melt going.

Official notes: A delicious butterscotch concoction with marshmallowy foam and the slightest hint of rum.

So the butterscotch is the butterscotch, the marshmallow is what I was reading as whipped cream. The sweet alcoholic scent of the rum must be what smells like brown sugar oatmeal to me.

Verdict: I like the scent, and I like Sihaya candles but I don’t know if I’d repurchase this candle specifically… it’s very pleasant, but it’s a pure, straight sugary sweet gourmand. Which is fine for a room scent! I’m going to use the whole candle. But for future purchases from Sihaya I’ll probably go for other scents because of my personal preferences re: gourmands.

A Note On Lip Balms

Lip balm, moisturizer, and sunscreen are about the only makeup I wear apart from the occasional lip gloss. The last time I even put on foundation was at my wedding 6.5 years ago. That said I’m lip balm fiend because my lips are just… always dry these days. Even if it is 500% humidity, even if I’m well hydrated, my lips are determined to take on the texture of a shriveled plastic grocery bag.

But before getting back into indies I was just a Burts Bees user. I mention all of this to explain my experience (and lack thereof) so people can keep that in mind with these reviews. What I’m comparing these lip balms to are the lip smackers I used when I was 12, cherry Shapstick, and peppermint Burt’s Bees.

Courage (vegan):

Official Scent: Red velvet cake

Scent in tube: Chocolate cake - a little on the dry side - and cream cheese icing.

Scent applied: The cream cheese icing dominates with edges of the chocolate cake. The cake still smells slightly dry, but not unpleasantly so. It’s kind of nostalgic for me - it smells like the cakes made from boxed components.

Flavor: Unflavored.

Texture: When applied thickly it’s a slippery, smooth, thick lip balm. However, this is one where you have to make sure to apply a good amount of it. When applied in a thin layer my lips kind of waxy and they actually end up having some friction when rubbed together.

Performance: I get a good couple of hours of moisturization - longer if I don't eat/drink or give anyone kisses.

Verdict: Would definitely try Sihaya’s lip balms in the future! I’m hoping in the future they add a sweetener, and perhaps make it so thinner layers of the balm are as slippery as the thicker layers. However, the scent is great.

Intelligence (vegan):

Official scent: Vanilla latte

Scent in tube: Sugared, creamy vanilla with faint hints of coffee at the edges.

Scent applied: The coffee really comes out here - but this is firmly a latte with lots of cream, sugar, and vanilla in it. Very sweet, creamy and light.

Flavor: While technically unflavored the scent of this does give me a mild coffee ‘taste’ while I am wearing it.

Texture: See notes on Courage’s texture.

Performance: See notes on Courage's performance.

Verdict: I find this one a little harder to wear than Courage because of the fact that the coffee scent can be a little harder to layer (combining with certain other scents maximizes the earthy quality of the coffee). Additionally, if I’m about to eat food the fact that I can “taste” the coffee can interfere with the food flavor. I probably won’t be repurchasing in this scent… though I will be using my tube up.