There’s just something about the woods. They have an air of mystery and adventure coupled with a sense of comfort that I adore. I used to love playing in the woods when I was growing up (which is one of the perks of growing up out in the sticks). Almost any day I wasn’t in school would find me packing my lunch and disappearing into the woods, only coming back when the sun was starting to set. So of course, when I found out Solstice Scents was releasing a woodland collection, I needed it.

The Business Side of Things:

I ordered a sample set of five and requested every Woodland collection scent except Grey’s Cabin. I don’t generally like cocoa/chocolate scents, so I chose to leave that one out.

Shipping was fast, as per usual! I made my order on January 17th and it was picked up on the 21st (which does seem like longer than usual, but remember there was a holiday in there). USPS did their thing and got everything to me in a timely manner.

Now, into the woods!

White Fox:

Notes:

Vanilla Musk, White Fur, Wood Blend, Frozen Dirt, Snow.

Random Thoughts:

This is such a sexy scent to me! I immediately put it all over my skin when I smelled the sample vial. I might actually cry if there’s no re-stock of this I fell all over myself to get a full size of this in the random re-stock on the 25th (AND SUCCEEDED), and I have zero qualms with declaring that this is my new favorite. It smells very sweet in a crystalline sort of way – a bit tinkly, if you will. Under that, though… there’s this spicy, musky, dangerous edge that keeps this feeling very skin-like.

Looking back at the notes, I can kind of get where the “frozen dirt” note might come into play with the vanilla musk and make something wonderfully, dangerously, affair-esque-ly skin-like happen. It’s like having a sexy romp in the dirt …. in the woods …on a snowy day… I don’t know, just go with it!

Winter Dove:

Notes:

Vanilla Crystals, Spicy Carnation, Nutmeg, Cream.

Random Thoughts:

This perfume… it’s messing with me. It’s the entire reason it’s taken me so long to get this review together. I just couldn’t decide if I liked it or not, so I had to set it aside for a couple of weeks and come back to it. Jury’s still out, but I think it’s okay… First applied, it’s floral, spicy, and creamy; sweet with a touch of earthiness behind it. It stays pretty true throughout. When I had first gotten this, I kept psyching myself out. I kept thinking this was going the play-doh way, even when co-workers smelled me and assured it wasn’t at all. After setting it aside and trying it again, my fears were quelled. While I don’t know that I’ll reach for it super often, I think I’ll keep this one around, see if it grows on me some more.

Night Watcher:

OH, COME ON! I couldn’t not do it! If you expected something other than exactly this, you definitely over- (or under-) estimated me!

Notes:

Forest Floor, Tree Tops, Bark, Mountain Air, Fir Balsam, Juniper, Moss, Oud, Dried Herbs, Cedar Tips.

Random Thoughts:

This is a deeply woodsy scent; a trip into the deeper parts of the forest, if you will. When will I reach for it? When I’m yearning for the deepest, most mysterious part of the woods. That’s what this scent is. It’s the oldest, most twisted trees. The damp earth, moss, and other plants around them lend this rich earthiness that’s so realistic. You can feel this forest living and breathing around you. There’s something weaving in and out that’s almost spicy but altogether comforting. This, reader, is the part of the woods where anything can happen.

[Yes, I was singing songs from Into the Woods When I was typing this. What of it?!]

Hidden Lodge:

Notes:

Dry Wood Blend, Oud, Woodsmoke, Spices, Castoreum (Botanical Interpretation).

Random Thoughts:

Oh, reader. You know I love smoky scents, don’t you? If you didn’t I should just throw that in right here. Darling Clandestine’s Carny Wedding is one of my all time favorites, and I desperately want to get my hands on Long Winter Farm’s Bonfire. Hidden Lodge… it’s right up my alley. The wood note seems a bit bright and the smoky note makes it reminiscent of a roaring bonfire. It’s a very cozy scent. There’s also something smooth hanging out in the mix, but don’t mistake smooth for creamy or sweet. This isn’t a sweet blend, it’s just good old outdoorsy fun! With fire. It makes me think of being in a cabin in the Great Smokey Mountains with a fireplace roaring.

Monarch:

Notes:

Rich Red Musk, Fir, Juniper, Cedar, Frankincense, Labdanum, Moss.

Random Thoughts:

Ah, juniper. I’m a big fan of its almost-berry/fern/piney smell. This perfume is a mix of woodsy smells and juniper when first applied, maybe with a bit of moss or lichen hanging around in the background.

After a bit, the juniper smell dies down and almost disappears. A raw, deep musk comes up to mingle with the woody note – this turns into what is (to me) a bold, slightly woody, skin-like scent. I enjoyed the first phase of this scent more than the second, but this is still a pretty wonderful smell! As with most of the scents in this collection, Monarch is a comforting smell to me.

Bonus Round: Rose Mallow Cream:

Notes:

Moroccan Rose absolute, Bulgarian Rose absolute, Marshmallow Fluff, Strawberry Nectar, White Chocolate, Vanilla, White Musk.

Random Thoughts:

Every once in awhile, I’ll get it into my head to try out a rose scent. My grandmother was an avid gardener. Green thumb doesn’t even begin to touch her ability – she was magical when it came to growing things! Every year, she would get her Burpee catalog in and I would sit with her and try to talk her into ordering all the flowers I thought were the most awesome-looking. There were some flowers that were always in the lineup, though, and one of them was roses. She grew these great big rose bushes outside of every house we ever lived in (which is impressive, because we moved around quite a bit). I miss the smell of roses blooming outside the window, hence why I occasionally give a rose perfume a go. Most of the time they turn play-doh-y on me.

In the vial, the play-doh smell reigned king. On my skin, it’s there for a bit and then it just fades to a point where it’s almost present, but not quite. It’s that word that’s on the tip of your tongue and you just can’t say it. Aside from that note, everything settled into a light, fresh floral scent. It was definitely sweet, but I didn’t detect any (distinctly) marshmallow smells at any point. I think this is a pretty scent, but it seems that 99% of floral perfumes just aren’t my cup of tea; I think I’ll have to count this one into that mix.

Bonus Round, Pt 2: Cellar

Notes:

Damp Earth and Stone, Wooden Casks, Cool Fall Air, Crisp Apple, Pear and Broom Corn.

Random Thoughts:

This is the cellar I want in my hypothetical future mystery mansion (that will be left to me via the will of some distant relative). It’s bright: herbal, fruity, earthy, and warm. Yet I never lose sight of the fact that this scent is, indeed, underground somewhere, surrounded by stone walls with timber beams running across the ceiling. Pretty quickly, pear comes to the forefront of the scent, and it melds beautifully with all the other notes. I feel like this will be a scent to bring a little umph into more mellow days. Definitely very Autumnal.