i was tagged on Instagram by @frag.rens to show my seven most favourite fragrances for now, and had fun playing with my top shelf collection for this post. as things turned out, i wasn't able to narrow down the list enough, so here's my top eight instead!
in first place is my holy grail perfume War by Luminous Star Perfumes (closed). with notes of creamy sandalwood, beeswax, orris, smokey tobacco, cherrywood, and soft musk, this perfume imbues me with joy and confidence and peace and strength every time i wear it. War is a scent fit for a regal elf warrior princess, and probably what i imagine Legolas from The Lord of the Rings would smell like. 10/10 - the full review can be found here.
the remaining favourites generally fall into two main scent profiles: 'wild' biker chick and sweet perfumes, depending on my mood.
my second most favourite perfume (and favourite of the 'wild' biker chick category) is Alkemia Perfumes' seasonal winter scent Krampus (A dark smudge of holiday naughtiness…. well worn leather whips and smouldering black coal), of which i still only have a sample for now but will be picking up a full-size once it's back in stock. Krampus is a great confident 'badass' scent to wear lately with my leather jacket and boots, one that's spot-on for Mazikeen from the television series Lucifer. 9.5/10 - the full review can be found here.
next in the same category is Campfire by Long Winter Soap Co, my 'katniss everdeen girl on fire' scent. this is just pure woodsmoke where you wear the flames, you are the flames, and you're the one who's powerful and in control. the description sums it up perfectly with the brand's typical wit: "So this girl Julie comes up to the booth at a fair and asks for wood smoke perfume oil. Turns out she's the chick who hangs her clothes next to bonfires just to get the smoke stink all over them. I'm with ya Julie, and this one's for you! Sweet wood smoke and a little white musk and vetiver." i gave this 8.5/10 because of its shorter longevity and throw than i would have liked, but it's still one of my most-reached-for scents in my collection. the full review can be found here.
the last favourite in this category is Aequitas by Darling Clandestine. i'm hoarding this one jealously because it's a discontinued scent, though it never fails to give me an amazing scent experience with every wear. the official description is: "Yes. It’s a fragrance inspired by The Boondock Saints. Smoke and blood and a LOT of whiskey and damp alleys and steel and gunpowder and sweat and denim and sweet wooden rosary beads and a bit of clover struggling up through concrete cracks. It is so, so, so sexy." if one could visualise scents in images, this is totally Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, shirtless and in jeans, claws out and thrashing bad guys wielding guns in some dark alley on a rainy night. 9/10 - the full review can be found here.
bridging the 'wild' biker chick and sweet scent profiles is Sixteen92's Sick, Sad World (dry breakfast cereal, steamed milk, used bookstore, crisp newspaper, wool jacket, knee-high black boots). this is the scent that would be worn by Tony the Tiger's hypothetical super cool older brother – in my imagination, he shares the same love of frosted flakes but instead of a red bandanna he’s got slick shades, a black leather motorcycle jacket and matching boots. so. awesome. 9/10 - the full review can be found here.
of all the scents in the other category of sweet perfumes, my favourite has to be my sleep scent, Rainbow Bridge by Sucreabeille. it was originally created as a custom scent to celebrate the life of a beloved pet, and even its notes are so happy and beautiful: A patter of paws running through a field of daisies, lavender, and sweet peas. Marshmallow clouds pass overhead. Sunflowers, warm fur, and white musk. i use this as my main sleep scent, to create a comforting and peaceful cocoon of scent to fall asleep. 9/10 - the full review can be found here.
honey is one of my favourite notes, and an amazing interpretation of this lovely note is Sugar and Spite's The Bee Queen (rich honey, horchata, sticky beeswax, and woodsmoke). this is a deliciously rich honeycomb just dripping with deep amber honey, with the faintest touch of smoke at the edges. i love the smooth beeswax in this, i love the rich and realistic honey note, and i love how the two come together so beautifully in this perfume. true to its name, this perfume showcases the best aspects of apiary produce and is a scent that perfectly befits the overlord of the hive. 9/10 - the full review can be found here.
i just had to also include another honey-dominant perfume in the same category, Death and Floral's The Blues Are All The Same (smooth vanilla cognac, aged barrel wood, and sticky honey). this is a warm and richly-sweet scent, not unlike the comforting feeling that you get when your favourite song just happens to come on the radio (or on Spotify shuffle, moving with the times). as with good music, all the notes blend together beautifully - the honey and vanilla give a rich sweetness to the subtle hint of mature alcohol in this, while the soft wood helps to round the scent out more fully. 9/10 - the full review can be found here.
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this review is of products that i had purchased at regular price with my own money. i wasn’t asked to review them as a condition of receipt and didn’t receive any incentives for writing them. i’m not affiliated with any of the brands named in this post, and as always, all opinions remain my own.
all information correct at time of publishing.
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