A Winter's Ball Day 3: The Netherfield Ballroom from Nui Cobalt Designs

Day 3 of a Winter's Ball rolls in (perhaps a few hours later than I would have liked). Today we move in our Pride and Prejudice tour to the Netherfield Ballroom.

Netherfield sounds like such a fantastical name to me. I feel like with a lot of these big estates the names either sounds utterly silly or utterly magical. Netherfield sounds like it could be happily shuffled into a Dungeons and Dragons adaptation of P&P without a single thing being changed.

In reality it's the country house rented by Charles Bingley ( our kind of main supporting male character). It kind of sits as a hub in the story - where it begins, and then later where the end of the book begins (when Bingley and Darcy return to Netherfield).

So let's get to the review! The Netherfield Ballroom candle is done by Nui Cobalt designs. It was rested several days before lighting (I have no clue if candles need to be rested or not but err on the side of caution). In terms of the candle's packaging and performance as a well... candle: It comes in a metal tin that seemed to contain the candle well. The soy wax seemed to melt to a liquid state quickly and similarly quickly suffused the room with scent. The wax melted fully across with no tunneling.

The wax did take longer to cool and harden than I am used to. So when lighting and extinguishing keep this in mind.  Minor mushrooming with the wick - but to be honest that could be from the way I trimmed it.

The smudge on the label is my doing - I handled the candle after extinguishing it and pinching the burned bits off the wick.

The Netherfield Ballroom (Candle) 

Unlit: Dried flowers (roses in particular - maybe some magnolia), a spray of citrus, berry-wine, old books and smooth wood. I recall the Old Books note from discussions of the scent beforehand - and it’s not the kind of cardboard-dust-and-aged-paper smell I associate with modern old books. Mainly a faint papery note with a whisper of leather. Sparkling, bright, and cozy.

Freshly lit:  Similar to how it was cold but with more warmth. Lemony florals, citrus, sparkling wine (could be made from berries… or just normal wine hard to tell), a thick, honey-like scent and polished, smooth resin/wood. Not getting so much of that book scent now (sorry book sniffers!). This is mostly a solid sparkling-white-florals-with-a-touch-of-coziness-and-wine scent.

After half an hour: So the smell of this candle has thoroughly suffused the room and it did it fast.  At the top I’m still getting white florals and sparkling wine beverage… but the smells under that have developed. There’s an almost white-peppery smell that yes, is giving me those old book vibes, that honey-like smell, and those rich polished woods/resins (I think there might be multiple). Golden, warm, cozy, and shimmering all at once.

Walking in and out of the room to the scent fresh is where that old-book smell shines. I also get something kind of ozonic and creamy I’m going to choose to take as ‘crackling fire’.

After an hour:  Stable to the half hour point. Topnotes of florals and wine, midnotes of old books/aged paper, a honey-like sweetness, and a creamy-ozone scent and then a base of smooth polished woods and resins.
 
Official notes: An elegant illumination with notes of white leather, sheer muslin, raw silk, and a petite bouquet of pink spray roses, English lavender, and lily of the valley.

Interesting!

So at the top yes on the roses - the lily of the valley must be the white floral I was getting. I didn’t get a lot of lavender - and if it’s in there I wonder if it’s adding to what smelled like a polished-wood-resin. The ‘elegant illumination’ I wonder if that’s the source of the kind of warmth and sparkling-wine smell. I can see a touch of white leather in there blending with the florals… which brings us to the other two textile notes:

The silk I am almost certain upon sniffing it (once knowing the notes) is the kind of creamy-ozonic smell I was getting. The white peppery smell that reminded me of old books I think must be the muslin.

As for the resinous base: Is it part of the ‘elegant illumination’? Part of how the white leather blends with, say, the lavender? Are there unlisted notes. I am not sure! But the scent definitely feels, to me, like it’s in a resinous base.

Verdict: This is fine with me as a room scent and I think for a kind of upscale-but-cozy vibe will be my go to candle (might whip this out Christmas morning). In terms of it being a ‘me’ scent? Not so much - my house is less Elegant Ballroom and more Wow That’s A Lot Of Animal Skulls. I’ll be keeping my candle and lighting it occasionally - but probably will not go out of my way to repurchase. I think if you’re a big fan of white-floral dominated scents, are a little sad that it’s a long way until summer collections, and looking for a Christmas white floral with the aforementioned vibe to it that this could be up your alley.

You can get this scent as part of the A Winter's Ball set found [ here ]! The set is on the pricey side (it's a luxury box!). However! Sucreabeille is also running a sale right now (11/28/19) and this would push you up into some of the higher tiers all on its own... so you'd get a box of lovelies and a bunch of other swag along with it.

A Winter's Ball Day 2: Two Dances with Darcy from Poesie

And we're on to day number two of A Winter's Ball. Enter our leading Gentleman, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy. And before we go any further let's address the elephant in the room: Fitzwilliam. It's like... also the name of his cousin? And what does Elizabeth call him when they're alone? Or does everyone just pretend his first name doesn't exist?

Ahem.

So today's scent is Two Dances with Darcy by Poesie. It aims big: to capture the sexual tension, frustration (you can tell they both really, really want to have that argument), longing, infatuation and puns all in one perfume.

This perfume got several days of rest - somewhere between three days and a week. Poesie's 5ML packaging looks nice - professional. The 5ml metal rollerball has had no leaks even when stored in weird positions but does dispense oil generously when used on skin.

Two Dances with Darcy by Poesie

In the bottle:  Earthy-spicy topnotes layered over sweet darkness. At the top - I’m not sure how to describe the notes as anything other than ‘masculine’, ‘spicy’ and ‘earthy-dark’. Under that is a bit of dark, musky sweetness - maybe myrrh? Or myrrh with black musk?  And at the edges of that? Leather and resin.  Dark, creamy, sweet and (dare I say it) kinda sexy.

Wet on my skin: Still spicy at the top but now I’m getting some citrus in there. It’s quite sweet - orange blossoms maybe? Beneath the bright citrus is the bottle scent - all musky-resinous, dark and rich. Very smooth.

It kind of reminds me of how a hot, dark, slightly musky dude drinking Grand Marnier would smell like.  Rich and dark but that citrus also takes it a bit Christmassy.

Drydown: All right. Let’s figure this out. I’m gonna take a stab at notes - which will probably be wrong but...

At the top spiced orange liqueur and vanilla. Beneath that I’m getting myrrh, patchouli, and black musk with an edge of leather.  The smell is very stable to how it went on wet - still rich, masculine, dark and smooth with bright orange notes at the top taking it into Christmas territory.

After 30 mins: Still wearing quite strong and stable! A bunch of the orange has died back at this point (though it’s still there) but the rest of the scent is stable to how it went on.

Mild throw with strong scent cloud starting 3-4 inches from the application site.

Official Notes: A splash of her lavender water, a hint of his Regency cologne and pipe tobacco, the polished dance floor, flushed skin, and is that...the perfect pear?

As predicted, my note guesses are entirely off.

So, the lavender water I can totally see with it mentioned in front of me. It’s the ‘spice’ in there. A very balanced sweet-and-herbal lavender. The pear is what I was reading as citrus. The Regency cologne must be what smells dark, musky, and masculine (still gonna guess myrrh and black musk being involved here at some point). The ‘smooth/alcoholic/resin’ smell must be the ‘polished dance floor’. The pipe tobacco is what I was reading as patchouli - which, like… I can totally see now.  The flushed skin must be adding some of those musky qualities.

Verdict: I like a scent with pipe tobacco??? What??? If I’d gotten this in a sample size it might not have been an upsize for me, though it would have been a keeper (mostly it’s masculine-fancy enough that I couldn’t see myself wearing it regularly enough to justify the purchase). But I’ll be keeping my 5ml to whip out when I wanna smell like I’m here to break hearts and brood.

You can get this scent as part of the A Winter's Ball set found [ here ]! The set is on the pricey side (it's a luxury box!). However! Sucreabeille is also running a sale right now (11/25/19) and this would push you up into some of the higher tiers all on its own... so you'd get a box of lovelies and a bunch of other swag along with it.

You can also buy this scent solo from Poesie [ here ] if you just want it alone!

A Winter's Ball: Day 1 - Lizzy's Fine Dark Eyes from Sucreabeille

So! Day 1 of A Winter's Ball. We start with our heroine, Elizabeth Bennett.  Of all the features that caught (and held) the enigmatic Mr. Darcy's attention it was her eyes that captivated him initially.  So often in our culture we hear praises sung of light colored eyes - hazel, green, blue and even sometimes grey - but it's unfortunately kind of rare to hear the beauty of dark eyes discussed.

Elizabeth's eyes are special because they show her soul, her wit, her intelligence and her strength. And they're famously a beautiful rich dark color.

For this review I'm going to do things a bit differently -  y'all know my methods and my opinions on Suc's drams can be found in my archives. So, I'm gonna cover the relevant different bits up here: I rested this dram for roughly a week and I think the packaging on this is lovely!

Lizzy’s Fine Dark Eyes (Sucreabeille)

In the bottle:  Ginger. Sparkling, crystal ginger. A lot of the time ginger in indie perfumes is not recognizable to me - it lacks the bit of sharpness real ginger is and falls a little flat. This is beautiful, sharp, fresh ginger. Behind the ginger are some uh… other things? They’re harder to pick out. A spray of florals? Bergamot? Hard to tell. Amber base I think.

Wet on my skin: Ginger is more muted but still there, still quite fresh.  Layered over what’s definitely florals (they also smell fresh), something sweet (honey maybe?), and a tiny touch of bitterness that screams ‘bergamot’ to me. Resinous base that’s either a wood or an amber - golden in color.

Feminine (but not overly so), refined smelling, somewhat traditional in terms of perfumery - but lots of shimmering golds, soft whites, and smooth browns.  Appropriate given the subject matter.

Drydown:  The ginger is back - still not as strong as in the bottle, but it’s definitely the first thing I get when I sniff this. Behind it is the… flower or bitter citrus. Something along those lines. Touch of sweetness and then that resin. Wears strong on the skin with the scent cloud starting about 3 inches away.

After 30 mins: Still wearing about the same as the drydown. Sparkling ginger, floral/bitter citrus type smell, bit of sweetness, and resin.  Dry, sweet, mature (but not old - just ‘grown up), elegant and feminine.

Very mild throw, scent cloud is the same as is described in the drydown.

Official Notes: Orchids and chamomile blend with lavender, ylang ylang and hyssop. Peach blossom, sandalwood, and sparkling aldehyde bring lift and depth.

I am deeply, deeply shocked this doesn’t have ginger in it. What? W H A T? It smells exactly like ginger.

SO I’m guessing the ‘ginger’ is the aldehyde, chamomile, hyssop and lavender. The floral/bitter citrus smell I’m gonna guess is the orchid/peach blossom. The sweetness is probably the ylang ylang since they can go so sweet. The resin at the base is the sandalwood.

Verdict: Okay, so, I really like how this one smells but I don’t think I’ll personally upsize from the dram because it’s a smidge too feminine for me. It’s probably the most ‘refined’ scent I’ve tried from Sucreabeille to date though - and would be very wearable in an upscale workplace or at events. Also - ginger fans - this smells like real, honest to God, ginger.

You can get this scent as part of the A Winter's Ball set found [ here ]! The set is on the pricey side (it's a luxury box!). However! Sucreabeille is also running a sale right now (11/25/19) and this would push you up into some of the higher tiers all on its own... so you'd get a box of lovelies and a bunch of other swag along with it.

A Winter's Ball: Announcement!

Those of you who are loyal SNEEF readers will remember the Big To Do over Roasts and Toasts where I did a review a day for a week for a group released I'd collabed on...

And I'm here to share: We're at it again folks.

That's right - I (very mildly) collabed on A Winter's Ball and now I am the hype train for it. Choo choo.

So, for this collab I participated in:

• Helping come up with the idea and theme for it.
• Watching the talented makers come to a consensus on doing it.
• Mentioning what notes were not my thing. 
• I'm gonna be telling y'all what it smells like with the same level of fidelity and honesty I apply to other reviews. (But, TBH everything I've given an initial sniff to has seemed legit so far).

We didn't do any sort of approval process, nor did I suggest notes for use. I did beg for a scent called A Truth Universally Acknowledged (which I got).

Anyway! It's a luxury Pride and Prejudice themed scent set. There's also two makeup pieces in there (a lip tint and a shimmer blush) that I will not be reviewing because, man, I don't wear makeup and my reviews would be like 'Hm... this sure is... a colored thing you put on your skin'. But they look pretty in the swatches!

So this weekend I watched the A&E Pride and Prejudice (it's up on Hulu if any of y'all wanna (re)live through Colin Firth in a wet shirt) for research and now I'm embarking on daily reviews of these products for the next week! Every day from now 'till Saturday expect a new daily review! These reviews will be exclusively on the blog... though I will be linking the posts around to various places.

At the end of it all I'll do a roundup post like I did with Roasts and Toasts.

You can buy the Winter's Ball set at Suc's Indie Marketplace [ link ] and you can get individual pieces from the various retailers participating. 

5 Sucreabeille Yule Reviews! Belsnickel + Fouettard + Gryla + Krampus + Perchta

Originally I was gonna review a set of purchased Sucreabeille scents on Friday because Andrea had asked for some feedback on her catalog and I'd been sitting on these since June? July? Some obscene amount of time anyway. But then a package slid into my mailbox with these five Yule scents and-

Well.

I've gotten this vibe this year that we're all ready for winter. Even people who normally are not Christmas' biggest fans are ready for some solstice action this year. We all seem to want to set something on fire (candles, yule logs, bonfires, the turkey that we don't actually wanna eat) this year.

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe it was just me - but as soon as it ticked into November it's like a switch flipped. I'm ready to gaze out over endless snowy expanses with the golden eyes of a snowy owl as black trees reach into a sky speckled with infinite stars. I am down for some celebrations vis-à-vis the triumph of light over dark.

I'm gonna gamble that I'm picking up on something in the collective unconscious and the solstice bug has been biting harder than usual this year.

So.

I made an executive decision to instead wait 24 hours after these arrived and start reviewing them. That, and, spoilers, Krampus smells kinda like clean eggnog and I thought people ought to know about that.

The perfumes covered in today's review are:

• Belsnickel [ store link ]
• Fouettard [ store link ]
• Gryla [ store link ]
• Krampus [ store link ]
• Perchta [store link ]

Methods

All perfumes in this review were allowed to rest for at least 24 hours (some were rested 48+ hours) 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. 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.

Belsnickel

In the bottle: So as mentioned above I was gonna stick it to The Man and review these all but fresh outta the mailbox. But I’m glad I ended up waiting 24 hours because… this one morphed! Originally it was all black-black-black earthy scents dominated by a super strong, black coffee.

Now it’s still got all that there… but it’s died waaay back. You get this initial hit of coffee and then the scent opens up into marshmallows and coconut cream underscored by dark, earthy and black-resinous notes.

Wet on my skin: Coffee sweetened by marshmallows and coconut, scorched wood, and something kind of like… between latex and skin? Almond maybe? So at the top you have the sweet notes, then under that the burnt wood and the kind of skin-latex scent. (Maybe it’s another kind of nut? Chestnut? It’s kind of got the nut-meat odor to it)

Drydown: And the dark smells and that weird nut-latex smell have mellowed! What’s at the front now is coconut and marshmallow underscored by coffee with a faint hint of nuttiness and burnt wood in there.

After 30 mins: Going strong and about the same as the drydown! I’ll admit, this one gave my a bit of a scare with how it smelled wet - but it dried down super nicely.

Good throw on it - gotten whiffs throughout of coffee and coconut in particular - strong scent cloud starts about 3 inches out.

Official Notes: Hot espresso with juniper berries and brown sugar

So the hot espresso is the coffee - and the juniper berries must be that odd note that smelled kind of nutty and kinda latexy at first. The sweet note is the brown sugar. I’m betting the burnt wood smell is where the juniper berries and brown sugar are mingling. I have no idea where I’m getting coconut (maybe the espresso is a coconut espresso?).

Verdict: Keeping my 10ml. I will warn that for some people this could be a challenging scent depending on how it dries down - but I like this one as a sweet coffee scent from Sucreabeille even better than Cup of Ambition.

Fouettard

In the bottle: Oranges at the top underscored by a piquant herb - a mint or lavender or something - with a resinous base. Something like a sandalwood. There’s something creamy in here too - might be part of the resin or might be separate. Creamy, citrusy, almost medicinal.

Wet on my skin: From a distance a thick buttery smell and then as I get closer WHOOF medicinal to the point of almost being alcoholic.

At the top - strong, piquant herb - think a medicinal lavender or a piquant wormwood mingling with oranges. Under that a creamy scent and then a resin that strongly reminds me of sandalwood - creamy, golden, and a tiny bit earthy.

Drydown: Clean, slightly medicinal and slightly powdery. Oranges at the top wreathed in that medicinal herb. Under that is the creamy-slightly-powdery smell and the resin I’m pretty sure is sandalwood. This scent would be nice as a kind of creamy-oranges soap.

After 30 mins: About the same. Maybe a touch muskier, but stable to the drydown otherwise. Wears quite strong - plenty of throw. Strong scent cloud starts 6 inches away or so.

Official Notes: Bright oranges and vanillas with a playful splash of red rose

I am not sure what went so medicinal in here! Maybe one of the oranges, or one of the vanillas? But I definitely got orange as in this-smells-like-orange juice, and I can see vanillas adding both creamy and powdery elements.

I can totally see the rose as being the musky kind-of-like-sandalwood smell when it’s put in front of me. Paired with the oranges and vanillas the rose reads more golden than red.

Verdict: Not my thing personally! But if you know someone who wants to smell like a clean creamsicle with a bit of a medicinal kick to it (heck, that someone might be you) then give this one a spin. A pass from me.

Gryla

I recall this one having vanilla and black pepper as notes. A while ago Andrea assured me that their black pepper was an accord that didn’t contain the actual plant - so allergy safe for me!

In the bottle: Vanilla, something a little sharp like mint, a spice (probably that black pepper) and something thickly sweet and kind of gourmand. Like vanilla pudding - or buttercream.

Wet on my skin: Thick, almost alcoholic vanilla gourmand with some spice. Like Bailey’s Irish Cream with spice (probably black pepper). Tiny bit of something minty at the edges but it’s pretty much lost in the Ultra Thick Vanilla.

Drydown: Black pepper at the top - fairly strong - over soft vanillas (no longer alcoholic smelling) with a bit of something extra. The extra is that tiny touch of something mint-like and also something creamy verging on powdery. It gives a scent a delicate, slightly refined character under the spice.

After 30 mins: The biggest difference from the drydown is the more it wears A) the more that mint-like smell moves forward and B) I feel like I’m getting a salt note in here with the pepper. It might just be the frequent pairing of salt-and-pepper in day to day life fooling my nose though.

Otherwise the scent is about the same - black pepper, salt and that minty-herbal smell layered over creamy-and-slightly-powdery vanilla.

Official Notes: Two vanillas swirl with sharp peppercorns

So - the pepper must be what smells almost salty to me. I’m not sure what has that kind of herbal-minty vibe unless it’s one of the vanillas… or the way one of the vanillas interacts with the peppercorns. The powdery-creamy must be another of the vanillas.

Verdict: A simple scent that I think will go over well with people who are fond of black pepper and wintery vanillas that have a kind of classical femme vibe to them. Not so much my thing - so a pass from me.

Krampus

In the bottle: Eggnog. With nutmeg. I recall this having nutmeg.

Wet on my skin: Eggnog. With nutmeg. Over something with a bit of a sharp woody bite to it … Or is that just part of the nutmeg?

Drydown: Eggnog - a little on the lighter, cleaner, slightly powdery side … with nutmeg. And maybe some wood in there at the base. It’s surprisingly delicate for a Krampus themed scent.

After 30 mins: Heavy nutmeg layered over eggnog and a kind of clean, textile scent. Surprisingly delicate and pale.

Official Notes: Rich vanillas, freshly ground nutmeg, Christmas spices, children's tears

The rich vanillas, nutmeg, and Christmas spices must be what smells like eggnog with nutmeg. The children’s tears must be that clean, surprisingly delicate note that reminds me of the textile scents that Suc uses sometimes

Verdict: I liked this one best in the bottle when it was eggnog city - but with how it dries down while I wouldn’t wear it as a personal scent I would totally use it as a soap. Can I do a one human write in campaign for a Krampus soap? The world needs Krampus soap. UPDATE: Right before posting this I saw that the Sucreabeille FB group was voting on what products to have as bath/body during December and right now Krampus is at the top of the list. Y'all... please help me make Krampus soap a reality if you're a member of the Suc FB group.

Perchta

In the bottle: I remember when I read the descriptions of these scents a while ago that one of them was a green one and… this is it I’m pretty sure. It’s green.

At the top I get green apple and green fir (or mint, not sure) layered over green grass. The greenest grass. Are you missing green in the middle of a landscape of gourmands and snowy whites? Perchta has you covered. In green.

Wet on my skin: An initial wave of GRASS. Like, how a lawnmower smells after cutting the yard levels of grass. After the initial slam you get the mint and a bit of apple. But this is like Grass The Scent with some nuances in there.

Drydown: The mint and apple are a little more prominent but this is still Grass City. If you need a lawn (with that trademark strong-sharp-bitter-green freshly cut grass has) with mint and apple skin in it… here’s your scent! It’s green! It’s slightly bitter! It’s vegetation smelling!

After 30 mins: Still very grassy but I’m getting a touch more apple now. But still grass-apple-mint. Powerfully green.

Official Notes: bright grassy greens, fresh basil, crushed peppermint

Oh hey it’s basil not apple skin. I guess basil smells a lot like apple skins do? Anyway, the rest of it is… yup greens and peppermint. I want to note that the mint is a subtle edge to this and not overwhelming… but the grass in this is quite powerful.

Verdict: If y’all have spent any time reading my reviews you already know where this is going. I don’t like the smell of fresh cut grass and that’s like 85-90% of this perfume. It’s pretty straightforward, and I figure those of you who want a fairly straightforward GREEN GREEN GREEN scent will already have determined if this is for you or not based on the info above. A hard pass from me though. UPDATE: So, there were a couple of hours between writing this and posting. The perfume is still wearing strong with a solid throw but the grass is much more subdued now - it's all sweet basil at a distance and up close it's sweet basil with a hint of mint and some grassy nuances.

Sihaya mini review: Sacred Autumn + Autumnvale Cafe

As promised (though late) here's the two Sihaya reviews I have for scents that are A: coming down on the 15th and B: not sold out. AS A NOTE these are coming down like... very soon - I promise I am not trying to FOMO anyone (the timing is purely my own goof-ups at work) - but like, if you want 'em now's the time to get 'em.

Since this is a mini review gonna pass on methods - check out my previous Sihaya post if you wanna see those - and on the packaging review section.

The candles in this review are:

• Sacred Autumn [ store link ]
• Autumnvale Cafe [ store link ]

With the sun setting earlier I have to find new places to photograph - behold my bathroom counter

Sacred Autumn

Unlit: Something that’s either a floral, or part of an accord that smells floral. Going to guess marigold but that might be way out of left field. It kind of reminds me of fallen leaves. Beneath that is some spice, and something atmospheric that reminds me of mist. At the base is some sweet resin/wood. So in sum, leaves and/or soft autumnal floral at the top, under that spice and mist and at the base sweet resin/wood.

Freshly lit: Baked good - maybe a pumpkin bread - paired with that soft leaf smell and smoky wood. Not getting much of what smelled atmospheric now - there might be a touch of resin in there… but mostly getting that kind of spiced-pumkin-bread smell.

After an hour: There’s no half-hour update here because I… lost track of time. Giant whoops. Look, I had Planet Zoo on and the wolf exhibit wasn’t going to build itself was it? Anyyyway.

I’m getting something like cranberries, or a broad, soft, autumnal floral paired with spiced pumpkin bread and smokey wood/resin. I’m not confident in my breakdown - but it is hitting me as kind of ‘mildly gourmand’ with some broad not-piquant sweetness at the top and a certain resinous element.

Mild throw with a relatively small scent cloud compared to the other tea candles I’ve tried from Sihaya.

Official notes: golden amber, pumpkin, sandalwood, and sweetened incense smoke

Ah-ha. So the golden amber is adding a resinous element and I bet is part of what smells like bread to me. The pumpkin is the pumpkin. The sandalwood is the wood. The smoke is the smoke from the incense… and since it’s been sweetened I bet there’s a floral or some berries in that accord. Maybe.

Verdict: Not my thing - it falls broadly into Ah Yes A Pumpkin Scent as a category. There’s nothing bad about it - it’s quite inoffensive - but it also isn’t something that personally excites me. If you want a smell reminiscent of sticky pumpkin bread this might be for you.

Autumnvale Cafe

Unlit: Coffee! Citrus! Earthy, bitter coffee… and citrus! There’s something else there but unlit the coffee-with-an-edge-of-citrus dominates.

Freshly lit: Chocolate, earthy coffee, edge of citrus, and smooth dark woods. A little more coming out, but still dominated by that coffee.

After an hour: Man, I did it again. TBH I might just cut the half hour point in my reviews because candle scents don’t seem to morph much once they get their melt on. Anyway, what I’m getting here is dark, earthy, rich chocolate coffee with vanilla marshmallows, that edge of citrus, and smooth dark woods. Pretty stable all the way through - but there are some vanilla-smelling notes that come out as the wax melts.

Official notes: pumpkin spice lattes and cinnamon chai

Okay, so, the latte is the dark coffee - the pumpkin must be what smelled like vanilla to me in here. With the chai, I think the cinnamon and dark parts of the tea scents what were I was reading as smooth wood and the bright parts of the tea reminded me of citrus. With the words in front of me I can totally see both of the big accord groups in this. Beats me what in here reminded me of chocolate.

Verdict: Pumpkin strikes again! This is another fine scent, but that coffee is a little on the dark side for what I like from my coffee scents. If you want a dark, Starbucks-level-of-earthy coffee scent give this a spin.

6 Sihaya Reviews: Full Moon + Sisterhood of the Moon + Conversations with the Moon + Amber & Velvet + Equinox + Secret Society

So, full admission, I'm an utter ding-dong. I've been hustling these Sihaya reviews to get them up before their Autumn/Halloween collection comes down. Sihaya had sent me a ton of tea candle samples and I had like... 10 more to get through. I assumed (this will backfire shortly) that everything that had been sent to me was Halloween or Autumn collection without checking. So I just went through the 10 remaining scents, saw 3 mentioned 'moon' in the name and figured I'd group those... and then just grabbed 3 more that smelled good to me unlit. I figured if the press I was going to be able to give was limited that I might as well shoot for the stuff I really like.

And so, I reviewed 6 candles today! I spend over an hour total per candle! This is important because I was 5 candles in before I realized that:

A: Full Moon, Sisterhood of the Moon, and Conversations with the Moon are all not part of the Autumn/Halloween collection

B: Of the three scents of the Autumn/Halloween collection I'd grabbed two (Amber & Velvet and Equinox) were sold out.

I believe there is value in reviewing stuff that isn't currently for sale. I'm ultimately not a sales person, affiliated with any brand beyond occasionally collaborating with a couple of 'em, and I try to be as honest as I can be with my opinions. I sometimes review stuff that's sold out or has come down because well... stuff shows up on the second hand market, sometimes stuff returns, and my feedback might be helpful as constructive critique to brand owners beyond just y'know... letting consumers know what exists and what I think of it.

I think of my role in reviewing as bridging consumer and maker and I want to do my best to help everyone involved. ALL OF THAT SAID I still want to get reviews out for stuff you guys can actually buy at the time of review posting.

So here's what we're gonna do. All of these scent reviews are going up today, whether they're available or not. Of the four scents I haven't reviewed there are two that are still available ( Sacred Autumn and The Autumnvale Cafe). With those two I will put up a mini-review tomorrow of those two. FLAMES FOR THE CANDLE GODS.

The candles covered in today's review are:

• Full Moon [ store link ]
• Sisterhood of the Moon [ store link ]
• Conversations with the Moon [ store link ]
• Amber & Velvet [ store link ]
• Equinox [ store link ]
• Secret Society [ store link ]

(Putting up the links to the sold out stuff in case someone wants to go look at the product page for whatever reason)

Methods

All candles in this review were allowed to rest for several days (A couple of weeks for these) after arrival. The candles were kept in the dark in a drawer if small enough. If too large for a drawer they generally sit on top of a bookcase or bedside table. 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. Occasionally when reviewing candles I will have a perfume on that I applied earlier that day.

With these candles I did an hour long (or even longer) test period. The candles had their wicks trimmed and then were lit using a plain lighter.

Each review is written without looking at the notes in that moment. Frequently I will glance at a product'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:

See my previous review here for the tea candles [ link ].

A reminder: each nose is different. Your mileage may vary.

Full Moon

Unlit: Milky vanilla, white musk, and something marshmallowy without being too sweet. Maybe mallow root? It’s a very creamy, slightly musky, very white-glowing scent. It’s very appropriate for invoking the moon.

Freshly lit: Silky smooth vanilla, honeyed milk, white musk and marshmallows. I’m going wild over this particular scent y’all. While it’s not something I’d wear as a personal scent it is absolutely something I’d want every corner of my house to smell like. It’s slightly warm, comforting, lunar and juuuuust sweet enough. I really hope it stays stable because this is great. It makes me feel like an autumnal moon-emperor sinking into my milky moon-bath to rejuvenate my moon-powers.

After half an hour: If anything the scent has intensified and I feel like I’m getting the tiniest hint of a lemony floral in there. Maybe an orchid? Or a tree bloom? Anyway, if anything this just makes me like the scent more. So it’s like… topnotes of honeyed milk and vanilla with midnotes of nutty marshmallow (not too sweet) and a thick musk base with faint edges of some soft lemony white floral: think a lily or orchid maybe.

Great throw for a tea candle. I’m deep in a vanilla cloud of awesome.

After an hour: Still going strong, same as the half hour mark except I’m not getting that floral right now and am wondering if I either imagined it or if it was some cross contamination from something else in the room. Oh well! Doesn’t matter! Candle still makes my house smell like milky vanilla magic.

Official notes: Toasted almond, dripping honey, and smoked vanilla.

So the dripping honey is that milky-honey scent, the vanilla is the vanilla, and the toasted almond must be what smelled like nutty marshmallow to me. No florals - so that was just some cross contamination.

Verdict: A++ scent. Will be upsizing. Big fan.

Sisterhood of the Moon

Unlit: Hard to smell - I think this one that will open up once lit. I feel like I’m getting a flormand with a textile note but that might be waaay off or cross contamination from other stuff it say in the box with. Let’s light it and see what happens.

Freshly lit: Dried wildflowers at the top over chocolate covered berries and something a little gourmand (or that might just be part of the chocolate). Resinous base. I can’t decide if there’s a textile note in here or not.

This one is taking a bit of warming to really open up - I had to blow out the flame to sniff if to figure out what I was sniffing because up close the flame, wax, and burning wick smell overpower the candle’s scent.

After half an hour: Chocolate covered berries with edges of some sweetness that I associate with dried wildflowers. Under that is some sort of resin - a dragon’s blood or an amber or something (it accentuates the berries smell) and what I’m gonna guess is a cashmere note.

After an hour+: It’s formed a solid cloud of scent - Chocolate covered berries (with a bit of almost citrus tartness - might be a bergamot note in there or something), resin, and that soft scent I think might be cashmere. Faint edges of that kind of dried-wildflower smell but I’d say the chocolate covered berries are the most prominent note.

Official notes: Amber, crackling fires, woody oakmoss, and warm vanilla.

Well, the amber is the resin I was getting. I suppose the vanilla blending with the oakmoss is what I was reading as chocolate. The berries/citrus smell must be part of the ‘crackling fire’ accord - and I wonder if there’s cashmere as part of that accord too.

No clue what was giving me dried wildflower vibes. The amber? The fire accord? Who knows.

Verdict: Overall a nice candle and one I’ll be burning the tea candle of again for sure… but not ‘my thing’ enough to merit an upsize. This would be the candle to pick up for someone looking for a kind of soft, resinous, dark gourmand-fruity comfort scent.

Conversations with the Moon

Unlit: Another one I think will open up more when it’s lit. Unlit I’m getting smoke, something almost aquatic and slightly green, and a dark-musky-botanical note at the base.

Freshly lit: Something very herbal at the top - mint or sage. Under that is something smoky-resinous and something fruity. Still a little bit of that hard-to-place reminiscent-of-an-aquatic note.

After half an hour: At the top I think I’m getting pine and sage. It’s a little metallic too - I’m not sure if there’s a specific metal note or if the pine is just kinda metallic. Under that the note I was reading as aquatic I think it actually oudh. The base is still musky. Touch of smoke.

So in sum I’m getting pine and sage - kind of metallic - layered over oudh and dark musk. Edges of smoke.

After an hour: About the same as it was at 30 minutes - sage, pine (kind of metallic), oudh, musk with smokey edges.

Official notes: Lavender, tonka bean, sage, chamomile, and a pinch of sea salt

Okay! So - what I was reading as pine is the lavender. It’s not a sweet lavender in this one… very herbal. The sage is the sage. The tonka bean and chamomile blend here to give that impression of oudh to my nose - it’s kind of got that ‘drying slightly decayed hay’ smell that coumarin/tonka can kind of get and that broad, flat smell from the chamomile. Part of the chamomile (already a musky flower) blending with the salt is what was reading as a dark musk to my nose. No clue what smelled smokey. Maybe part of the sage?

A surprisingly heavy, thick, dark musky scent given the notes. This isn’t heavily floral at all - much more herbal. There’s hardly any sweetness to this at all.

Verdict: Sage and I are not bosom friends and this scent is herbal in a very sage-y way. It’s a pass from me, but, I suspect someone fond of herbal (but not overly green) dark scents without a lot of sweetness to them would be into this.

Amber + Velvet

Unlit: This one is one of the ones I picked because it smelled nice to me unlit. I like amber! The amber-y the amber the better! But I have a rough relationship with velvet. I suspect there’s more to this scent than just straight amber and velvet though.

At the top I get something almost like smoke but like… clean smoke? Then below that the velvet accord ( a little animalistic-musky-faintly-leathery-but-not-leather smell. Kind of soft and fuzzy but also with a bit of an animalistic-musky sharp edge to it). Then some earthiness. Maybe some black patchouli or similar dark resin? There might also be a kiss of spice in here. We’ll see when it gets lit.

Freshly lit: Bright amber and almost citrusy velvet over earthy tones. Don’t get me wrong - the velvet is still… velvet. It’s got that kind of flat, soft-fuzzy, golden-brown smell but here it’s paired with something brighter and a little bitter. The amber is a nice, resinous amber that isn’t too sweet. Overall this scent is golden, bitter-citrusy, soft, and with an earthy base.

After half an hour: Amber dominates the scent, golden and a little sweet (kinda reminds me of berries). The bitter/animalistic qualities to the scent have died back significantly - the velvet is more of a soft note that enhances the golden amber. It, or it combining with that earthy note from earlier (or maybe just a new note coming out) reminds me of the smell of brown, crunchy, fallen leaves that have dried. There’s just a tiny, tiny bit of that bitterness which adds interest to the scent.

After an hour: About the same as half an hour. Up close to the candle I get more of that bitterness and edge while at a distance I get more of the soft, golden tones. Kind of a neat effect. Mild throw on it - but definitely getting whiffs of scent from a few feet away.

Official notes: two ambers, sweet patchouli, and a whisper of cedar.

Oh hey! This didn’t actually have a velvet accord. WHOOPS. That’s probably why I preferred it. One of those ambers is kind of animalistic though. I can definitely see the cedar as the kind of citrusy-bitter smell. The patchouli is that earthiness at the base, and probably some of the bitterness/animalistic qualities..

Verdict: I’m all like ‘Oh, I liked this better than I thought I would for a velvet scent’ and… it ended up not having a velvet in it. Welp. This one is really nice - it’s in the ‘if I had infinite money I’d upsize’ category. It’s not my favorite of today’s reviews, but if I were ordering like 10 full sized candles at once it would be a contender. Worth trying for fans of not-too-sweet ambers and like a bit of bitterness and animalistic qualities to their amber.

Equinox

Unlit: Caramel! Apples? Spiced caramel apples? Definitely a gourmand - remind me a bit of the butterscotch notes in Butterbeer. I feel like I’m maybe getting some fruitiness and/or fallen leaves in there.

Freshly lit: Buttery baked goods! Butterscotch/caramel! Apples! Is this an apple pie scent? I’m into it.

After half an hour: Yup, spiced apple-caramel pie. Very into this. Apples are my fall scent of preference and though for me gourmands can often be overwhelming as personal scents I’m into my favorite gourmand smells as room scents! Digging this as a candle. A house full of apple pie without the effort? Nice.

After an hour: Still caramel apple pie (heavy on the caramel and pie crust). The crust is a very buttery, flaky smelling crust, the apple is red smelling apple, and the caramel smells like a rich, thick salted caramel.Nice scent cloud on this… basically it’s a ‘what more could you want from your apple pie candle’.

Official notes: Ripe red apples, sweet cider, and falling red maple leaves.

I definitely get the apples, and up close I get some of that piquancy that codes as cider. But mostly I get buttery-gourmand smell… which I’m guessing is a strong ‘maple’ note in this. It’s much more of a maple-as-caramel-and-buttery-pie-crust than a ‘leafy’ smell to me though.

Verdict: Upsize! Apples = fall for me and this is a very nice apple gourmand. Update: alas this is sold out. This is my penance for being too slow on the draw.

Secret Society

Unlit: Sihaya’s leather note, something like bergamot… and I think I remember this having a tobacco smoke note? Maybe a woodsy base? Like I could buy this being leather, cedar, tobacco smoke with just a kiss of bergamot at the edges.

Freshly lit: Getting the leather at the top for sure, then under that the kind of slightly-bitter-citrus I associate with bergamot. I feel like there’s a splash of something alcoholic in here that comes out once its lit. There might be a touch of tobacco in here or that might be my imagination inserting things… I’m going to guess right now for the notes: Leather, cedar, tobacco, whisky and a touch of bergamot and smoke.

After half an hour: Soft leather and whisky, maybe a touch of tobacco (not much - mostly just leather) and that kind of cedar-bergamot-smoke smell. Basically similar to how it was freshly lit… with a soft cloud that permeates the room. My husband walked into the house and was like ‘Oh, nice candle smell in here’ while this one was burning. It doesn’t dominate the room - more adds to the atmosphere.

After an hour: Soft, glossy leather, whisky, a bit more of the tobacco (definitely getting a smokey note from this now!) and the cedar-bergamot scent. As at the half hour mark it has nicely suffused my home.

Official notes: Leatherbound books, rich mahogany and teak woods, smooth bourbon, and a crackling fireplace.

So the glossy leather is the books, the cedar type smell is probably the mahogany and teak, the bourbon is what I was reading as whiskey and the crackling fireplace is what I was reading as tobacco smoke + that kind of bergamot smell.

Verdict: So, for a leather scent from this collection which one I upsized would be between this and Sleepy Hollow. Sihaya has a great leather note - not at all acrid, smells like real leather. I think this one wins out because it more subtly blends with the living space and because it got my husband’s attention enough to comment on it.