A while ago I wore the first part of this review, where I focused on the winter collection if scents. This time I will review a few scents from the general catalog. I ordered a sample pack of four scents from the Midnight Gypsy Alchemy etsy shop but you can also order from their web site.
"A mystic green yet powdery sweet scent that captures the magical and mythical element of the ancient oak. A blend made with oak moss and balsam peru resin ,vanilla absolute, infused with fig fruit extract, real figs, green tea leaves and vanilla beans."
This one is a simple but delightful oak and vanilla blend with just a hint of something fruity. It is warm and comforting. I get oakwood rather than oakmoss from this one. On me it is not at all green but rather a creamy vanilla wood. I almost get a library kind of vibe from this, a little hint of leather and it might have smelled like old books. There is no real change in Ancient Oak as it dries down, and then it is gone, or so blended into my skin that it is barely noticeable anymore. On my skin this lasts less than an hour and the sillage is very limited. I like this a lot, it is gorgeous, but I want a scent to stay for at least a few hours.
Alma Gitana
"A complex and rich fragrance that embodies the gypsy spirit in a daring and bold scent of ancient resins, dark fruit and exotic florals with notes of tobacco smoke. Created with jasmine , tobacco and vanilla absolutes,plum extract, essential oils of bergamot, cinnamon, patchouli,black pepper, and tuberose with resins of myrhh and amber infused with dried plum fruit, cinnamon sticks, peppercorns, tobacco and patchouli leaves."
On me this one is very fruity. It is definitely a very dark fruit, plum with a hint of dark berries. Apart from the fruit I can smell jasmine, some spice and maybe a hint of tobacco. The images I get from this one are of nighttime in some exotic place, lush fruit trees, jasmine flowers and a starlit sky. The fruit dominates this scent in the beginning but then the jasmine becomes the main note for a while. And jasmine tends to give me a headache... So I'm not very fond of jasmine and the combination of plum and jasmine is not very me at all. I feel that I would have loved this if there was more tuberose than jasmine and if there was more spice and tobacco. Ths one lasts longer than Ancient Oak but still only a couple of hours, and has better projection (damn that headache inducing jasmine).
Quill and Candle
"Sweet yet wooded notes of smokey intrigue with undertones of exotic spice and fruit. A blend of clove, cardamom,black pepper and ginger essentials .Infused with a touch of rose absolute,apricot extract , coconut flakes , pepper corns, clove buds and real apricot fruit."
I was so looking forward to this one but onfortunately it was too much of a rose perfume on my skin, so I scrubbed it. Apparently a touch of rose absolute is enough to spoil this one for me. So I sent it to Rachel, you can ask her to provide a less biased review of this one.
"A wild and smokey yet slightly earthy blend of ginger, tobacco, and hints of a floral combination reminiscent to that of lilacs. Made with balsam peru resin, absolutes in tobacco,vanilla,honeysuckle,essential oils in ginger,fennel, jasmine , infused with ground ginger, fennel seeds, vanilla bean and tobacco leaves."
This is an awesome tobacco and vanilla scent. I can smell hints of fennel too. And I love fennel! I get no floral at all and I can't smell any ginger. Tobacco is always evocative for me, but this one is not a scent of home but rather a scent that reminds me of late party nights and smoking on a balcony while watching the stars recede before the first embers of dawn behind the distant towers of the cathedral. The tobacco is what dominates this scent from start to finish. It is a tobacco that is mellowed by the vanilla and I really like it! This scent is definitely my favorite of all the ones I have tried from Midnight Gypsy Alchemy! Mandrake Garden also has better longevity and projection than most of the others. It lasts a few hours so I might want a full size bottle of this one.
My main problem with these scents is the lack of longevity. I have discovered though that Midnight Gypsy Alchemy offers two different concentrations for the oils. You can buy the full sizes in either 1/3 oz roll ons or 1/2 oz splash bottles and it is stated that the splash bottles have a much higher ratio of perfume to carrier oil. I don't know what concentration the samples are, but I would guess that they are the roll on concentration, to save money perhaps. I'll have to ask about that because if that is the case I really want a splash bottle of Mandrake Garden! These oils come so beautifully packaged too! The branding is phenomenal! Just look at the way my samples were packaged when they arrived!
Midnight Gypsy Alchemy also offers solid scents, candles, soaps, body cream and more. All just as beautifully packaged. They really should send free samples though. I'd rather have a little extra slice of soap or an additional perfume sample than those boxes the samples came in. I have a whole stack of boxes like these, from various other etsy purchases, and I just never use them for anything. Maybe the boxes could be an optional for gift wrapping or something. I like the little notes that come with every scent though, very pretty and neat! What do you think, packaging or extras? And what would you like to try from Midnight Gypsy Alchemy?
Midnight Gypsy Alchemy also offers solid scents, candles, soaps, body cream and more. All just as beautifully packaged. They really should send free samples though. I'd rather have a little extra slice of soap or an additional perfume sample than those boxes the samples came in. I have a whole stack of boxes like these, from various other etsy purchases, and I just never use them for anything. Maybe the boxes could be an optional for gift wrapping or something. I like the little notes that come with every scent though, very pretty and neat! What do you think, packaging or extras? And what would you like to try from Midnight Gypsy Alchemy?
Wow, this all sounds so amazing. Especially Alma Gitana. Love the description. (and anything gypsy or witchy!) I also have an issue with allot of the perfumes or sprays I wear not staying for much longer than about an hour, though having a noticeable smell for too long would probably be dizzy-making. You seem to have great taste in perfumes though! I also like to explore non-tipical aromas. I've always wanted to try a perfume that smells like coffee or sweet soft vanilla (actually found that one locally as an actual eau de toilette, not body spray). People tend to think me childish for that but I just don't think a perfume needs to be named after a super star to smell amazing and that nature gives us (or inspires us) some of the most amazing scents. From what I can tell Etsy has taught me that perfume can and should really tell a story. (I've yet to sample anything from Etsy but I certainly plan on it.)
ReplyDeleteI don't know how I missed this comment! Thank your for commenting anyway! Some of these Midnight Gypsy Alchemy scents would be so very awesome if only they lasted a bit longer on my skin... I actually love smelling a scent on me the whole day! I have tried some scents with really impressive longevity and I know it is possible (even with natyural perfumes) so a poor longevity just feels like a letdown!
DeleteI used to be much more of a gourmand girl! I loved simple foody scents like vanilla, coconut, coffee, spices... Now I want a little more excitement in my perfumes, some leather, tobacco, green herbals... I would suggest that you start your Etsy fragrance journey with a large sample order from Alkemia Perfumes. She makes perfume of every kind! Try scents from a variety of categories to get a real feel for what you enjoy and what works on your skin! I encourage you to also challenge your comfort zone and sample some scents that don't sound like your thing, you might be surprised!