With my last order, I nabbed two more pixie packs full of more wonderful scents! Valhalla Soap Co. has also recently released their Spring scents and a new cocoa body butter lotion that can be shipping during those pesky summer months, and Sif’s leave-in conditioner and de-tangling spray.

I’m kicking this off with one of the scents that soooo many have raved about on the facebook page – Oak, Ash & Thorne. Its notes include barrel aged Bourbon Vanilla, embodied by ancient cedarwood resin and dark Indonesian patchouli, softened by rich, warm amber and a touch of exotic sandalwood. Warm, golden, and resinous describes this perfectly. The patchouli isn’t overwhelming as it sits in the back giving some support. Amber and the barrel aged bourbon vanilla are the stars of this blend with the sandalwood and cedarwood rounding it out nicely. This almost has an ancient feel to it, as though this scent has weathered the ages and stood the test of time. There is the barest hint of sweetness but this is all about the amber and woods. After a while, this is still very true to the initial impressions I had. This has very little morphing as it dries.

Pendragon’s Passion has some passionate followers and its notes comprise of deep, sultry and fiery notes of dragon’s blood slither around warm amber and sweet blood orange while resting on an earthen floor of dark patchouli. This magical blend opens with a sweet blast of blood orange, freshly peeled and just being squeezed as you inhale. Dragon’s blood is a note that some people love or hate or even love to hate. Personally, I enjoy the floral version, but not so much the spicy version. This blend uses the more floral version – but it’s that deeply red floral that almost feels resinous along with that amber. The patchouli is the same from Hedonistic – the non-hippy slightly orange feeling patchouli and by far my favorite patchouli I’ve had the pleasure of smelling. The longer this sits on my skin the more it warms up into this slinky and almost seductive scent. Blood orange is still apparent, but it’s more the after effects and less the super fresh and juicy bit like it was in the beginning.

Norseman has notes that include Balsam Fir, Juniper, Cedar, Clove and Blood Orange. From my first order I’d received a small soap sample and my kids and I all enjoyed the scent and the soap so I had to get the oil too! First sniff I get lots of fir and juniper with a touch of cedar. The fir has a huge throw and I can smell it just typing this out. As it dries I get a touch of the clove with its signature spice scent and just a hint of blood orange, but it seems it’s more of a dried orange scent than fresh. The juniper gives that antique scent I associate with it. Overall this is a very masculine coniferous forest – strong and lasting. In the soap I got more of the cedar, clove, and blood orange whereas the oil has more fir and juniper.

Rain Dance (also known as Ice Giant) lists notes of an earthy all natural blend of citrus and mint. Peppermint comes to the fore front of the blend – but not the sharp kind – that good peppermint that is equal parts melty vanilla and minty peppermint. This blend is cool and it really does have an hint of something earthy in it. Unfortunately I’m not a fan of mints in general unless they are not the star of a blend, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t an awesome blend in its own right.

7 Sins From Sunday is another (there’s a lot) fan favorite over at Valhalla with notes of jasmine and lavender tangled around exotic amber,vanilla and sandalwood with a whisper of earthy patchouli. Finishing with sweet lingering notes of dark cocoa bean. Not sure if I’m having a bad skin chemistry day or what, but in the vial I got some nice jasmine and lavender with a touch of vanilla but on my skin … dryer sheets. And it’s not strong or anything, more of a used dryer sheet where there’s barely any smell left. And now it’s gone. Either I have a blind spot or my skin eats it. So weird. I’m sure it’s quite lovely though from the hint I got from the vial! I think I need to see about getting this in a wax melt or soap or something.

Okay, so that was weird. It took about 15 minutes (and me walking outside in the warm sun) for any real scent to show up. But now … wow! 7 Sins is soft, snuggly, and warm. It’s close to the skin and the florals aren’t overwhelming at all, but are rather like their scent is floating in the window on a warm breeze. The sandalwood and vanilla are soft and sweet and I wouldn’t have guessed there was patchouli in there either. I’m not getting any cocoa, thankfully, as I’m not a chocolate scent lover.

Battle Kry is comprised of sea spray, the familiar smell of leather breast guards and polished steel. In the vial this is soft and worn leather while on my skin that salty sea spray takes over. It is a briny scent, oceanic to the extreme, with hints of leather and that metallic tang of steel. All the notes ebb and flow so that not one takes the lead for long, just like the waves of an ocean. Eventually the super saltiness melts away and you’re left with the memory of the sea clinging to your blade and clothes.

Sandalwood has no notes listed, but it’s been in a lot of blends I’ve loved from Valhalla so I’m excited to have this to use alone or layer. I love how simple yet complex this scent is. It is golden and warm, woody yet it has a sweet undertone to it that is unique. This is raw and untouched sandalwood, freshly harvested, still a little moist, but it dries as the oil dries on your skin so that you’re left with the beautiful fragrant wood. Definitely a must and one I could wear all by itself or it would layer very well with other blends.

Shieldmaiden has notes of citrus and florals on a woody background. Top notes of orange, and watery greens with a middle of jasmine and rose on a bed of juniper, patchouli and vanilla. This is a very fresh and clean scent in the vial however my skin chemistry is turning this into fabric softener (and actually the exact scent of the brand I use … so that’s good? at least I like it?) and I’m not sure what is doing it. It might be the rose. Rose and I have had quite a few years to work with each other and only a few types of rose work on my skin and if a company changes where they source their rose EO I can usually tell because my skin will react different. Yeah I think the rose is doing it – it’s screaming at me and it’s only getting louder the longer I wear it. Oh well, can’t have them all I suppose.