Text heavy post! I’ve started indulging in Indie perfume the way I indulge in lipstick. This could all go horribly wrong.

Mail today saw the two final perfume packages I was waiting on arrive, and I’m in a not-so-great place today so I thought writing up a quick review would be good to take my mind of some medical stuff. Below the jump you’ll find mini first impression reviews of two full size Alkemia scents and two samples, and the six deluxe samples from the Sixteen92 Hot Chocolate Bar set.

Bear in mind that a mini review by me is probably…not that mini.

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Alkemia

This was my second order from Alkemia, and customer service has been off the charts great. I also only ordered this about 10 days ago, and it is already here in Sydney (for comparison, my Sixteen92 order was about a month ago). The main reason for this purchase was to get my mum’s birthday present - I gave her a sample of Antares from my last order and she fell in love with it. So naturally I maximised on their 3 for $30 offer. I have also found that my skin tends to drink up Alkemia scents so I’m hoping these ones have slightly better wear and throw on me.

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Pumpkin Strumpet - I knew i had to have this based on the name, and my weakness for spicy sweet autumnal scents. It was love on first sniff.My first impression note just says “omg”. It’s deifnitely the strongest on my skin now I’ve been wearing them all for while, but it is more mellow than a cold sniff would indicate. It smells like pumpkin scrolls with buttercream icing and cinnamon and I love it. Alkemia’s notes are “rich pumpkin, caramelized sugar, Madagascar vanilla, precisely balanced with a swirl of cinnamon, ginger, & clove and a tiny drop of amber musk” and mostly I get all of that bar the musk. This is sort of like a more pumpkin, mellower version of Solstice Scents Kitchen, another one of my favourites.

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Paradise - it’s a lot more subtle, but not in a bad way. A very summery fragrance, and certainly very evocative to me. It smells like coconut sunscreen and skin warmed vanilla (the vanilla becomes more evident on the skin). I was worried this would smell too sickly, but it’s strangely realistic in bringing to mind the tanning lotion my sister uses and summer blooms. It is described as “An heavenly blend of fresh young coconut and Madagascar vanilla with hints of Monoi Tiare” which is pretty perfect to me (tiare is one of the only floral notes I adore), and it sits closer to the skin than Pumpkin Strumpet but I still want to rub my face in it. Super glad I took the chance on this in a full size.

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Vixen - The first of my two samples, this was the most confusing. On first sniff I got spices, but as it sat wet on the skin I couldn’t decide if it was fruity or floral. Now it’s dried down and worn a bit it’s definitely floral leaning and musky but still seems…light? I actually really like this. It’s very different to my usual perfume tastes. The scent notes are “sexy white amber and luminous late summer night blooming florals awakened by warm caresses of autumnal spice, golden musk, varietal apple peel, sugar pumpkin, jasmine tea, and a whisper of woodland mosses” and I’d definitely say late blooming summer night florals is what it feels like to me (interestingly the spice I picked out straight away I can’t smell on the skin, where I usually amp up spices).

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Mist Becoming Rain - I had contemplated this before so i’m glad I got to try a sample. On cold sniff and first application, it definitely smelt wet and green. I could swear I picked out patchouli, but it’s not in the notes (patchouli is one of my death notes). It’s much nicer and more subtle and every bit as real once it’s sat for a while on the skin - it really does smell like wet autumn earth. “Rainwater, mist drenched hazel wood, meadow grasses, sage blooms, orris root, ozone, grey amber” seems an accurate description.

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Sixteen92

I was so excited to try Sixteen92, and at the time I ordered was super craving chocolate so the choice was clear. The sampler pack has the deluxe 2ml vials, which I appreciate, and the customer service was great. I do find they wear quite close to the skin.

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Mexican Hot Chocolate - I have had mexican hot chocolate and so already suspected that this would be a touch too bitter for my tastes. I liked the hint of spices I got on cold sniff, but it didn’t translate onto my skin. Quite earthy? Very interesting. Sort of vegemitey, which is a weird comment to make, but I get that from a lot of dark bitter chocolate blends. It’s described as “Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, Mexican vanilla, cinnamon sugar, spicy pink & black pepper, and whipped cream” and really all I get is the dark chocolate and a fleeting dash of the vanilla, so I wasn’t mad on this.However, I took a chance and layered it with Sixteen92 Toasted Marshmallow and holy fuck, yep, that’s what it needed.

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Toasted Marshmallow - thought this should go next as I’ve already mentioned it. Very simple, singular scent, that is intended to be worn alone or layered with the other chocolate scents. On it’s own it’s very light and sweet and I can see myself wearing it casually, but I think it will be especially great to mellow out the other blends from this collection that aren’t my thing for one reason or another.

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Peppermint Hot Chocolate - this straight up smells like Mint Slices and I love it. I did find it faded faster than the others, which is a bummer considering how much I love it. It’s listed as “Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, whipped cream, and a splash of cool peppermint” and I find it to be beautifully balanced between peppermint and chocolate once applied.

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Red Velvet Hot Chocolate - this scent is probably my favourite. It’s much softer and sweeter and my god, you really do get the buttermilk whipped cream (“Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, red velvet cake accord, buttermilk whipped cream”). I think I prefer the balance of the chocolates in this one. It’s lovely and comforting and warm and gooey and I wish it threw more.

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Black Forest Hot Chocolate - I was most nervous for this one - I do not like cherry. On cold sniff, it was straight up cherry cough medicine. It was actually tough for me to convince myself to apply it, and I couldn’t go near it until it dried down on my skin. I will say that it mellows on the dry down and I can handle it after that. I actually love how softly sweet it is on the drydown and I’m not sure how I’ll get use from this - I just wish I could skip through the sickly wet phase, where all I smell is cherry syrup. “Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, vanilla, cherry, and whipped cream” is a much better description of the dry scent.

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Coconut Creme Hot Chocolate - I’m a bit of a coconut fiend and expected to love this, and I probably will layered with Toasted Marshmallow. On it’s own, I feel the chocolate is too bitter and strong and not balanced enough with the coconut. It has the strongest throw, but I get that same vegemiteyness that I get from Mexican Hot Chocolate. I’ll give this a few more tries layered because I want to love it, but we’ll see how it goes. “Dark chocolate, white chocolate, and coconut topped with whipped cream, toasted coconut flakes and a drizzle of caramel” I wish I got the caramel and the white chocolate, I really do.

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So overall, some real wins - Pumpkin Strumpet probably won overall, with Red Velvet Hot Chocolate and Paradise and Vixen playing catch up - and some misses (Coconut Creme Hot Chocolate, what happened? We could have been a beautiful couple!) for me, but obviously everyone’s tastes and skin chemistry differ to mine. Both brands are great and I’d definitely recommend seeing if there’s something for you that they offer. I’m so in deep to the indie perfume world now, guys. I want to try everything. Next on my list of brands to try are Arcana and Smelly Yeti and Haus of Gloi and like maybe Darling Clandestine? Once my bank account recovers and the rest of my overseas purchases arrive maybe.