Thursday, November 1, 2012

Solstice Scents Review

Because this is my first post - I will say that Solstice Scents is what inspired me to start this blog. Within minutes of opening my package from them I just knew that I had to spread the love, and, sure enough, that's what I'm doing!

I first heard of Solstice Scents from one of my favorite YouTubers, Grav3yardgirl (video: October Favorites 2012). As soon as she mentioned the fact that there is actually a perfume out there that smells like old books, I was hooked. That probably seems weird to most people, but trust me - it's not as bad as it sounds! In fact, they have an entire line of "Manor"-based scents, inspired by different rooms in, not surprisingly, a Manor. If you've ever been inside of an old, wooden house, have explored a library with books that haven't been opened in decades, or have even set foot into an antique store, you probably have a pretty good idea of what these perfumes smell like. But it's more than just smelling like an old book, or like someones creaky, wooden cabinet... these perfumes are so delicately intertwined with multitudes of subtle scents that you can't help but go on an imaginative journey when smelling each vial. It is these journeys that I had when smelling my Solstice Scents products that I would like to share in this review.

First and foremost, let me just say that the shipping time for my order was incredible. In just 4 days I had the package in my mailbox! Second, the packaging was adorable. My little box came with Halloween colored confetti and little 'pot-pourri'-esque goodies that made opening it a real treat. Each product has it's name hand-written on the container, which is just proof that they put love into every single product they ship out. The only down side to this was that I found that some of the names on the sample-vials smudged a little when I tried to open them. However, the writing is still legible.


So enough small talk, let's get to the product reviews!
(disclaimer: I am by no means a "scent connoisseur" and there are much more eloquent/detailed descriptions of each scent on the Solstice Scents website if you're interested. These are just my initial reactions...)

Halloween Night Body Ganache
Halloween Night was one of the scents described by Grav3yardgirl and she said that it smells like a bag of candy after trick-or-treating. I have a mild-obsession with lotions and body cremes in general, as well as a "mild" obsession with all things Halloween, so naturally I just had to have this. Not to mention, Bath and Body Works didn't come out with any Halloween-themed lotions this year so I needed to fill that void.
When I first smelled this, I thought it smelled like chocolate. Then I smelled vanilla. Then I decided it was a very nice combination of the two. Above all else I would say that it smells more like chocolate than vanilla, but it's not too overpowering. It sort of reminds me of cocoa butter, only less sweet. I put a small amount on my hands and I would say that it moisturized quite well considering how little I used. I'm going to go ahead and say that this 4oz jar will last me a very long time, so it was definitely worth the $10 I paid for it. Overall, I quite like it!

Manor Perfume
I got a full-size (0.35oz) of the Manor perfume because I had only read positive things about it - and I must say, I'm glad that I did!

The initial scent I picked up from this perfume was a spruce/fir scent - it reminded me of a Christmas tree farm. As I let the scent sink in, the "sprucey-ness" took a back-seat and I immediately had visions work their way into my mind; an intricately carved writing desk, a winding banister staircase, a long hallway with multiple doors leading into various rooms, oil paintings on the wall... indeed, the manor was coming to life. The longer I let the perfume sit on my skin, the more scents appeared, eventually leaving a wonderful combination of musky and sweet scents floating in the air.
This scent leaves me feeling elegant and sophisticated without feeling overly matronly. It's one of those scents that you can wear daily, but also to nicer events. I'm pretty sure I just found a new favorite perfume!

The remainder of the products I ordered were the sample-sized perfumes. Each time you order (I believe) you have an option to select a free sample. Furthermore, if you're a new customer and you indicate this ("new customer") in the comment box during checkout, they will give you yet another sample! So I ordered three samples, but after all the free goodies I ended up getting five.


I have: Pumpkin Spice Latte, Master Bedroom, Library, Kitchen, and Cellar

(All of the above scents with the exception of Pumpkin Spice Latte are from the Manor collection)

If you've had the Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks, you know what this smells like. I honestly felt like I was holding a miniature latte in my hands - the smell is spot on. Pumpkin spice is my favorite scent of all time, and this perfume definitely does not fail to deliver!

This was the only scent out of my order that I wasn't completely impressed with. I might be biased, though, because my first impression was that it smells like my Dad. I'm not sure what cologne/aftershave/whatever my Dad wears, but whatever it is, that's what Master Bedroom smells like. Now, it isn't a bad smell, don't get me wrong, but I would never wear it just because... well, I'd feel strange walking around smelling like Dad's cologne. It has a pretty strong musky smell - but not so much that it lacks any femininity. Actually, there is a subtle floral (rose) scent in there. It's possible that the muskiness subsides once applied to the skin and, to be fair, I didn't give this scent as much of a chance as I probably should have since I was so thrown off by the initial sniff. However, I will try and give this another go at some point and there always is a chance that it might grow on me!

So this is the scent that I first heard about and the one that prompted me to visit the Solstice Scents website in the first place. My only hesitation with ordering this scent was that the descriptions I had read suggested that there is a hint of a "leather-y" smell. Many people quite enjoy the smell of leather, but on the contrary, I quite dislike it. It's not so much the fact that leather is animal skin that turns me off (I am vegetarian) but there's just something about the smell that I've just always disliked and I can't quite put my finger on it. However, I was pleasantly surprised by this Library scent. I actually haven't been able pick up very many hints of leather - I did briefly but it was so subtle that I might have been mistaken. To me, Library is a slightly muskier and less sweet version of Manor. It really does smell like an old book, yellowed-pages and all. I read the idea of layering scents on the Solstice Scents Facebook page and I must say, if you layer Library and Manor you end up with a wonderful combination of sweet, spicy, and woodsy smells that really bring together the whole aesthetic of the collection. 

This was the sample perfume that was selected for me due to the fact that I was a new customer. This perfume has a very nice light, sweet/woodsy scent to it. When I first smelled it, I was reminded instantly of this Russian Nesting Doll that I have in my room - every time you open up one of the dolls, there is a burst of smell that is shockingly similar to the Cellar perfume. I'm not sure how else to describe it so if you've never had the pleasure of sniffing a nesting doll then I apologize - I think it's the cedar in the perfume ingredients that give it this smell, but it's also a bit sweet. Overall I quite like it, although Manor is still my favorite. 

I was really excited to try out this scent because I had read great reviews about it. It's quite easy to see how Kitchen got it's name - the initial scent I picked up was cupcakes. Sweet, sugary, cupcakes. Then, I smelled apple pie! Each time I smelled the perfume I alternated between smelling cupcakes and apple pie... so finally I decided that it smells like apple pie cupcakes... if that's even a thing. It's a fun smell and I think that wearing it will put me in a great mood. It might be overkill, but I think that it would smell lovely over top of the Halloween Night ganache. I haven't tried it yet, but I also heard that it smells quite nice layered with Manor.


So there you have it! My first review and my first blog post! I encourage everyone to check out and support Solstice Scents. They're a unique, well-run business (with mostly vegan-friendly products!) that I am proud to support, and all their products are definitely worth a try. 

Thanks for reading! (:

3 comments:

  1. I totally want to get Manor and Library now! Greta blog :-)

    -Jamie
    Houseofgeekery.com

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  2. Lovely review, and a very worthy subject! BTW, I always wrap my sample vials with tape as soon as I get them to prevent smearing. They still fade over time but it does help with smearing.

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  3. I have also heard a lot of good things about Solstice Scents and I´m definitely ordering samples soon! Manor and Library come greatly recommended and I´ll definitely be trying those!

    (BTW, maybe you could add the google friend connect gadget? It´s much easier to follow you then, and I´d love to follow your blog!)

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