*Reviews composed in November 2020 It may be nearly December and there is frost on the windows, but my mind (and nose) have been enjoying a very atypical fall and winter collection of scent collages from Stone & Wit. Who knew you could find unique summertime fruit perfumes in the final throes of autumn tide. Full Transparency: I was offered these samples for an exchange of an honest review.--These are my thoughts. Longevity: Varies between 2 hours (Why Would You Make This!?) to 8 hours (with Ashara) A few words on the stickers: Seeing stickers in packages just touches on some nearly forgotten nostalgic element for me and I get very excited to add indie stickers to my work badge and computer top. Stone & Wit's stickers are excellent quality and I love the smooth matte vinyl finish that goes so well with the printed theme. Mine is still where I stuck it and hasn't slid or melted. *$0.5 from each sticker purchased will be donated to Lotus House Women and Youth Shelter. Onto the perfumes, in order of favourites choices: Turyin (Notes:Pomegranate, plums, sandalwood, gunpowder) A spread of rarely seen notes that I could bathe in. The dark delicious fruits are most dominant on me and the mineral gritty smoke of the gunpowder slowly dirties up the juicy top notes as the hours tick by. I don't smell any sandalwood which is very curious because I normally amplify any hidden creamy woodiness of sandalwood in other perfumes. Slight negative aside, I love the seductive wafts of the pomegranate and plum that catch me off guard when I turn my head and I'm going to call it, TURYIN is my favourite blend I have tried from this house of fragrance, sorry Etta you have been toppled off your throne. We Played Our Records Backwards Too Many Times (Notes: Black cherry, orchids, vetiver, coffee) This opens with creamy dreamy cherry sherbet then slowly morphs with dark coffee beans and vetiver smelling oddly like an aged record then back to soft cherry dessert! The orchids adds a hint of dusty powder to the mix and I'm absolutely thrown for a loop on this blend. Bravo! Why Would You Make This!? (Watermelon, lime, bergamot, paprika, raisins, apples, sichuan pepper) Despite the name this perfume is very wearable and still hits all the unique points of the unexpected. It's spicy, weirdly creamy and savory fruit laced. I get the wet rind of a melon, the distinct aroma of a box of sweet raisins and something smelling akin to vanilla under the warm spices. Definitely unlike anything I have in my vast collection. Ashara (Notes: Black Ink, Nilgiri Tea, White Agar and Palm Dates) This one takes several minutes to calm down from brash tea then a lovely ink from a pen and sweetness of the dates amplifes and lasts hours. The only agar I'm familiar with is for cooking and I do get saltiness from Ashara under the soft fruit and realistic ink. As it is further drying down I smell something akin to aged paper which I really enjoy. This one is a keeper. Frith (Notes: Blueberry, dandelion greens, sage, witch hazel, vetiver) First can we stop and applaud the unique choice of notes and clever homage to the book Watership Down? This isn't your everyday type of fragrance and I must admit it does turn perfumey for me in the end but the beginning is magical with the realistic bright greenery cutting through the vinegar quality of the witch hazel which I could douse myself in (I love vinegar). It's when the blueberry first begins to disappear that Frith morphs and loses that initial green magic. The final note of vetiver keeps everything from becoming soapy and adds some earthy realism back to the mix but I'm sad to say this is just missing something for me that I can't identify or it's the blueberry that is throwing me off. I think this fragrant ode to Watership Down will serve me better as a whipped soap additive in the coming months. Stone & Wit 3 things are always welcome into my home- more books, more music and more perfume and this next house of fragrance provided me with all those as their blends are inspired from various forms of fiction and genres of music which leads me to learn all I can as I sit back with each bottle. In truth, the medieval-styled artwork and their overall aesthetic initially caught my eye and the use of some extremely rare notes (lime, marigold, coriander, beeswax, fireweed, rose geranium etc.) in the oils sealed the decision to explore further and place a small introductory order from Stone & Wit. These were my impressions and certainly not my last. _______________________________________________________________ ✒️Amazing customer service practice with prompt and courteous responses (I made a 3 am purchase and failed to notice the directions of listing the samples I was interested in the order/comment box- the owner was very understanding and even sent me all the samples I was curious about after that embarrassing mistake!) ✒️Fast TAT (I ordered June 4th and had my parcel on the 8th). ✒️The sample sizes are extremely generous and arrived in these fitting brown twist top ampules (nestled inside their own box) that all play perfectly into the aesthetic. ✒️They promote ethical sourcing and are open about the ingredients and bases they use in each perfume. (for more information, these pages are fascinating reads 1 and 2) ________________________________________________________________ ✒Longevity: LONGEST- The Red Hare and Starling (10 and 8 hours on skin) SHORTEST- Doble O Nada and Blame, Etc. (2 hours on skin) All the following perfumes vary from 2 hours to the above mentioned. One Note At A Time: !Simpatico! (Description/Gathered Notes: Opens with a cool, airy rose-geranium accord, balanced with sweet and slightly earthy tobacco notes. The dry down warms up into chocolate amber and musk with a touch of dark wood notes.) !Simpatico! is a sweet Summer Playlist in a bottle for me. The description says the chocolate amber manifests of the dry down, but on me, those dreamy notes along with the distinct rose geranium open the show creating an unexpected decadence and the following dry down is this cool airy collaboration reminding me of sweet bubblegum (along with a hint of vanilla) with the spicy green leaves of geranium when you pick them from a warm windowbox as you hang out on your porch hoping to catch a glimpse of your summer crush next door. I listened to the inspiration behind this fragrance and I couldn't help but notice my playlist had a similar vibe to it, so for those curious: Gin Blossoms, Don Henley (okay The Ataris for a later remake) and Lana Del Rey all come into play when I sit back and let this bottle take me away. There is a vintage old money element under it all that has me reaching for !Simpatico! on hot summer days. Etta (Description/Gathered Notes: A dark wood accord, like well weathered ship's timbers, forms the base for the heart of sweet rum and jasmine and top note of lime juice.) I fully admit I'm a bit enamoured with this fragrance and I never like to compare different houses of fragrances together as every shop and artist is unique, but I stand by my first impression of Etta reminding me a great deal of Sixteen92's Jean. Looking at the notes, it makes no sense but I get an effervescent opening and gardenias with a kiss of tropical fruit and I had to message the owner and inquire if gardenia was unlisted, he told me it could be the combination of jasmine and cinnamon rum. Well whatever magic is at work, Etta is flipping gorgeous and tells a scent story of a character that takes no prisoners and knows she has arrived in life. It's magnetic, beautiful, a tiny bit boozy-salty which adds a certain level of maturity and I think is a lovely unisex fragrance anyone could wear. Longevity is about 4 hours and the throw isn't a cloud which I truly appreciate as Etta has been accompanying me to work when I want to feel in charge even though the world is spiralling out of control. The Red Hare (Notes: Fresh ginger, fig preserves, cherry, caramel and deep blonde suede) On application this is zippy and a bit too "perfumey" for me but after 20 minutes, wow this is pretty and delicious smelling! The Red Hare at first reminds me of another oil I own from another shop sans the rhubarb but completely transforms to another entity of a summery fruit preserve and warm caramel matchup that makes me huff my arm and go "oh, so that's what figs smell like". Sorry for the rambling it's hard to keep up with this blend, it morphs and shifts every time I sniff and has this zany fun energy about it. The cherry juice pairing with the caramel is probably my favourite part of this and the soft suede note hours later is quite unexpected and impressive overall. Doble O Nada (Notes: Soft sweet tobacco, vanilla and rum with a twist of lime) I was raised on Mafia movies (and horror movies, hehe) and this, this is good. The sweet tobacco with vanilla is one of the best examples of those together I have found in the indie realm for myself and the lime is true adding a zing of citrus to the creamy spice of the tobacco (thankfully the rum isn't running amok on me). Mmm, Doble O Nada is seductive and a bit dangerous. I'm going for a hair oil of this little number. Blame, Etc. (Description and Gathered Notes: Opens with tart and juicy pink peppercorn, balanced by herbal, sweet coriander. The pink peppercorn carries over into the heart notes: bright jasmine, spicy and leathery saffron, supported a rose accord. The dry down is smokey incense and honeyed woods.) The dry down on this perfume is stunning smelling of lush rose incense and sweetened honey with a hint of pepper but alas on the opening saffron dominates on my skin and can give me a huge pause and compulsion to scrub before a pinching headache develops. I've suspected for quite some time that saffron was a death note for myself and Blame, Etc. finally confirmed that and I need to remember to watch for that listing in the future. After about 15 minutes a sweetened wine aroma wafts up and welcomes my nose back to my skin and it's quite lovely as it morphs from a mysterious fruit to floral incense with rare pink pepper. I'm going to use Blame, Etc. in unscented whipped soap and let the honeyed rose incense take me away for as long as possible. Starling (Gathered Notes: Vanilla, ambrette, rose, spices, fig and pear) Oh, liquorice rose wine! This could very well be a sister scent of Candelere as there is a distinct captivating vintage element that calls for a special night out. Out of the two, Starling is a heavier oil on my skin and did take a little bit longer to settle down after it first arrived but overall is pretty and something special for the colder months. This shop executes rose and fruit notes beautifully. Candelere (Description and Gathered Notes: The berry-rose-green notes of fireweed compliment and contrast sweet yet bitter marigolds and a deep honey accord, rounded off with an earthy sandalwood accord and beeswax base with hints of vetiver and woods.) It's seldom when modern created perfumes remind me of true classical music with any lyrical spirit, so let me be the first to applaud and introduce those that know the works of Haydn to Stone & Wit's Candelere. This is airy, romantic with a dramatic vintage edge that whisks me away and I want to pile my curls up in ribbons and learn how to minuet properly with this lovely fragrance adorning my neck and wrists. For composition, my skin brings forward a powderiness with a wisp of realistic summer garden bouquet just barely underneath and the alluring beeswax is becoming stronger as Candelere is slowly aging. It's bright and expensive smelling and how I wish I had somewhere worthy to go to show off this fragrance. It calls for the best of everything. Just beautiful and I must now seek out this Molly Nosegay Chandler and read all about this character Candelere is inspired by. Stone & Wit |
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In accordance with FTC Guidelines, I disclose how I obtained every title for review at As The Final Page Turns (whether that be by ARC, purchased (on nook, kindle or specially ordered hardbacks) Audible version or simply borrowed at my local library). Please note: titles reviewed that are ARCS (Advanced Reader Copies) are free review copies of books that are given by publishers (these ARCS can be found at NetGalley or Edelweiss). Categories
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28th of January 2023) NOTES/COMBINATIONS and Stones CURRENTLY ON THE HUNT FOR: Naughty Licorice/Star Anise Cardamom Cardamom Cake with Roses Smoky Honey & Leather Leather and Florals Pomegranate Colder Tuberose scents Smoked Florals with Cinnamon and Honey Graham Cracker and Incense Double strand of Rose Quartz or Moonstones or Black Tourmaline Chainmaille Jewellery Houses of Fragrance and Interest on the Horizon (shops that contain such temptations): LurkerAndStrange Good Spirit Wolf Rapt In Maille ToadStoolSoaps DSH Perfume Baphomet&Co Harvest Moon Haven Granny Hootenanny's Shop
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