I recently had the pleasure to meet up with fellow indie lover, Francesca (the owner of the fabulous Working with Monolids) and we had a lovely session of trading and decanting. She is the sweetest girl and thanks to her, I’m now the proud owner of a truckload of shiny indie goodness to dig into. I’ve always been envious when I read about meet and sniffs sessions that people organize. It’s pretty rare to find an established community in Southeast Asia, so imagine how excited I was when Fran told me that she would be making a weekend trip to Singapore and suggested that we meet up. It’s a great, and frankly, cost-effective way to try out new products too. After all, we international addicts need to band together. ♥

A quick brand overview

Today’s mini review will be focused on three scents from Wiggle Perfumes. I’ve heard great stuff about this company for the longest time, and people on the BPAL forums seem to have a great fondness for their blends. I have to say that I was really charmed by the adorable name. The aesthetic of this shop is luscious and bold and reminds me of a sexy bombshell who knows exactly how to strut her stuff while smelling absolutely fabulous. Wiggle is currently undergoing a massive scent upheaval so many of her blends are currently on clearance sale. This is a great chance to try out the company and get an idea of her signature style, so you’ll be prepared when the new permanent collection emerges from the wings.

Scent Reviews

I did a thorough test drive of all three scents and I have to say that across the board, I was extremely impressed by everything that I tried. Each blend is wonderfully complex and I cannot rave enough about how great the morphing power is. I actually had to keep my nose honed most of the time because the scents were constantly growing and blossoming and I didn’t want to miss out on a moment. The wonderful thing is that I never would have expected to love these blends quite as I much as I did based on the scent notes so it was very much a pleasant surprise.

Reviews are based on my individual impressions from a test drive of the individual samples. Everything is subject to my own skin chemistry, so your mileage may vary.

♥

Anna May

Lychee, peony, green tea notes, with a generous dose of wisteria layered over white musk, a touch of orchid, a kick of ginger, and the slightest hint of soft incense.

First Sniff:

This is a sweet, sweet, beautiful peony with the freshness of green tea and just the tiniest whiff of incense. There is a light fruity note as well, and I have to say that at this point, I am in love. This is such a delightfully light and crisp fruity floral scent and I can only hope that it carries on along this tangent.

This is a sweet, sweet, beautiful peony with the freshness of green tea and just the tiniest whiff of incense. There is a light fruity note as well, and I have to say that at this point, I am in love. This is such a delightfully light and crisp fruity floral scent and I can only hope that it carries on along this tangent. Drydown:

The lychee gets a lot stronger on my skin and blends itself perfectly with the green tea to create this fresh juiciness. It smells so clean and crisp that I feel like I’ve just taken a shower. A minute later, the lychee tones down a little and I get a lovely exotic floral. I can’t tell exactly if it’s the orchid or the wisteria, but there is this tropical edge to it, that has an air of wistfulness. For all its freshness, this is a really deep, multilayered scent. It has a fruitiness at the top, cushioned by a layer of florals and everything gets rounded up by a splash of green tea. The green tea note reminds me a lot of the one in BPAL’s Embalming Fluid , but I have a preference for Anna May because of the florals.The peony makes a reappearance a little later and it is so sweet and fresh. I have had some trouble with peony notes, most notably with the one in BP A’S Little Flora which went straight up old granny on me. This is youthful and fresh and I adore it. I absolutely can’t imagine anyone not liking this scent. It’s innocent and sweet, yet incredibly well-rounded at the same time.

The lychee gets a lot stronger on my skin and blends itself perfectly with the green tea to create this fresh juiciness. It smells so clean and crisp that I feel like I’ve just taken a shower. A minute later, the lychee tones down a little and I get a lovely exotic floral. I can’t tell exactly if it’s the orchid or the wisteria, but there is this tropical edge to it, that has an air of wistfulness. For all its freshness, this is a really deep, multilayered scent. It has a fruitiness at the top, cushioned by a layer of florals and everything gets rounded up by a splash of green tea. The green tea note reminds me a lot of the one in , but I have a preference for because of the florals.The peony makes a reappearance a little later and it is so sweet and fresh. I have had some trouble with peony notes, most notably with the one in BP A’S Little Flora which went straight up old granny on me. This is youthful and fresh and I adore it. I absolutely can’t imagine anyone not liking this scent. It’s innocent and sweet, yet incredibly well-rounded at the same time. Silage

This has a pretty moderate throw on me and basically just whiffs around in a kind of scent aura. I’d imagine that this is a lovely scent to wear both on special occasions like a first date, the first day at a new job, the first time you’re meeting your future mother-in-law… you get the idea.

This has a pretty moderate throw on me and basically just whiffs around in a kind of scent aura. I’d imagine that this is a lovely scent to wear both on special occasions like a first date, the first day at a new job, the first time you’re meeting your future mother-in-law… you get the idea. Longevity

This delightful little blend lasted strong for about 4 to 5 hours before mellowing down into a mild sweet fruitiness on my skin.

This delightful little blend lasted strong for about 4 to 5 hours before mellowing down into a mild sweet fruitiness on my skin. Would I wear this again?

Absolutely! I might actually break my self-imposed no-buy just to get this blend before it goes sayonara on me forever. This is definitely big bottle worthy for me. I love how fresh and uplifting it is, without having that pesky air freshener effect that I got from Embalming Fluid (that absolutely devastated me because – that name. How could you not want a perfume with that name?)

Maggie

Lemon cookie sweetness with touches of cinnamon, sandalwood, egyptian musk, and soft yellow rose.

First Sniff:

I am always wary of lemon blends because it always ends up smelling like dish washing liquid on me. The only lemon scent that has ever worked on me was Violette Market’s Miss Bonnie Rue . Wiggle’s Maggie comes in as a very close second. This was a light and refreshing lemon cookie scent and I can’t wait to try it on.

I am always wary of lemon blends because it always ends up smelling like dish washing liquid on me. The only lemon scent that has ever worked on me was . comes in as a very close second. This was a light and refreshing lemon cookie scent and I can’t wait to try it on. Drydown:

The first whiff that I got was a wonderful rich creamy butter note and I thought, “wow, this is going to be deliciously gourmand.” Then the lemon pushes its way through and I’m alarmed for just a split second. And then I fall in love. This scent embraces all that is beautiful about the fragrance of a lemon. It’s soft and tart with that distinct lemon citrus sourness, but there’s also a sweet, almost floral side to it. It’s zesty and fresh, but never sharp and it plays so nicely with the butterscotch note. It is a lemon scent to convert anyone who has ever had misgivings about lemon in a perfume. Plus, it is absolutely mouthwatering and it actually made me feel a little peckish some hours into the blend.

The first whiff that I got was a wonderful rich creamy butter note and I thought, “wow, this is going to be deliciously gourmand.” Then the lemon pushes its way through and I’m alarmed for just a split second. And then I fall in love. This scent embraces all that is beautiful about the fragrance of a lemon. It’s soft and tart with that distinct lemon citrus sourness, but there’s also a sweet, almost floral side to it. It’s zesty and fresh, but never sharp and it plays so nicely with the butterscotch note. It is a lemon scent to convert anyone who has ever had misgivings about lemon in a perfume. Plus, it is absolutely mouthwatering and it actually made me feel a little peckish some hours into the blend. Silage

This wears itself pretty close to the skin, but I was able to smell while typing so I’d say that it has a decent throw.

This wears itself pretty close to the skin, but I was able to smell while typing so I’d say that it has a decent throw. Longevity

This lasted for about 4 hours on me, after which it faded to a faint lemon scent on my skin.

This lasted for about 4 hours on me, after which it faded to a faint lemon scent on my skin. Would I wear this again?

This blend morphed the least on me, but I really didn’t mind. While Bonnie Rue had a distinct cake note, Maggie was more of a crumbly lemon shortbread cookie. I don’t know how I did it, but I somehow managed to stop myself from nomming my wrist. This was a delight and I would actually consider this big bottle worthy. At any rate, it has definitely raised the bar for all future lemon blends.

Selma

A rich, grown-up cocoa butter musk with touches of honeysuckle, warm hay, woodsmoke, and honey

First Sniff:

Smokey dark chocolate with a musky edge that is very sexy. This made me think of BPAL’s Dorian , and after comparing the two, I realize it’s because the musk note is pretty similar. It’s that same sweet smokiness with a slight puff of powder, although Selma runs a little darker because of the chocolate’s bitterness.

Smokey dark chocolate with a musky edge that is very sexy. This made me think of , and after comparing the two, I realize it’s because the musk note is pretty similar. It’s that same sweet smokiness with a slight puff of powder, although runs a little darker because of the chocolate’s bitterness. Drydown:

The honey becomes a lot more apparent ten minutes into the scent and the warm sweetness takes centre stage, pushing the chocolate to the background. The scent is a lot more feminine now. There is definitely something powdery at play, but thankfully, there is something keeping it from morphing into an old lady perfume. It smells so comforting and clean, but with an undertone of mystery.

This blend is such an active morpher; so far, only BPAL blends really morph that much on my skin, so I’m really pleasantly surprised by the complexity. The wood smoke is creeping out from under the honeyed musk, adding a bitterness that is almost herbal.

As time passes, the scent gains a spicy edge that adds more of a no nonsense bite to the muskiness. It’s both sharp and soft at the same time and it smells like a high end classy lady’s perfume.

The honey becomes a lot more apparent ten minutes into the scent and the warm sweetness takes centre stage, pushing the chocolate to the background. The scent is a lot more feminine now. There is definitely something powdery at play, but thankfully, there is something keeping it from morphing into an old lady perfume. It smells so comforting and clean, but with an undertone of mystery. This blend is such an active morpher; so far, only BPAL blends really morph that much on my skin, so I’m really pleasantly surprised by the complexity. The wood smoke is creeping out from under the honeyed musk, adding a bitterness that is almost herbal. As time passes, the scent gains a spicy edge that adds more of a no nonsense bite to the muskiness. It’s both sharp and soft at the same time and it smells like a high end classy lady’s perfume. Silage

This had the strongest throw on me, and I’d rate this at about a 6.5 on a scale of 1 to 10. The person walking next to you would definitely be able to pick up a waft of it.

This had the strongest throw on me, and I’d rate this at about a 6.5 on a scale of 1 to 10. The person walking next to you would definitely be able to pick up a waft of it. Longevity

This lasted for about 5 to 6 hours on me and the scent lingers on for about another 5 hours as this delicious skin musk.

This lasted for about 5 to 6 hours on me and the scent lingers on for about another 5 hours as this delicious skin musk. Would I wear this again?

This could be so immensely sexy on the right person, but I generally am not a musky perfume kind of girl so I could live without a full bottle of this. I will be treasuring my sample though. This is currently sold out on Wiggle, but if you like musky and complex blends, definitely pick this up if it ever appears on the second hand market. Your olfactory senses will love you for it.

On the Whole…

I have to say that I am thoroughly impressed by my first Wiggle experience. Some of her blends are still available under clearance sale, so do check those out before they’re gone forever. Her new collection will be created with natural components so the perfume oils will be priced at about $24 for 5ml to reflect this. While this is higher up the scale as far as indie perfumes go, Wiggle blends are incredibly well blended and complex, so I think they would be worth the price. As it is, samples will be available at $3 for 0.5ml so that will be a slightly less pricey option to try out new scents. I highly recommend the shop and am incredibly excited for the new scents coming our way.