Solstice Scents: A Review of my Ever-Growing Collection

Alright, here's my first go at a scent review! Today I'm going to focus on Solstice Scents, a company that quickly won me over with its unique and high-quality products. Who doesn't want to smell like a hayride, or a dusty attic? Solstice Scents produces scents that, to me, feel nostalgic whether or not the smell is necessarily familiar. I think it's just because the scents smell so incredibly true to life.

All reviews are based on my first impression, smelling straight from the containers. In general, Solstice Scent perfumes can fill a room, but aren't overbearing. I like their gourmands, and frequently I have people around me asking what the smell in the room is coming from. No one ever believes it's my perfume! I have to reapply once or twice a day when I'm out and about if I want to keep the delicious-smell-trail behind me going. Otherwise, the smell stays close to the skin but still smells nice. I just like watching heads turn when I walk by, what can I say?

All quoted scent descriptions are taken directly off the Solstice Scent website. You can check out their lovely site here.

From left to right, up to down: Sugarvale, Blueberry Muffin Batter, Lemon Ginger Creams, Cafe Mallowmel, Library, Cocoa Mallow, Blackburn's Parlor, Sycamore Sugarworks

Sugarvale: "candied pecans, butterscotch, buttered rum, brown sugar, maple syrup, hot pralines, and milk chocolate cocoa"

This perfume smells like straight-up Waffle Crisp cereal. If you haven't tried Waffle Crisp, it's essential to your well being. Go buy a box, enjoy a bowl, then come back and read the rest of this post. Okay, I need to get back on track.. First sniff, it's a mouthwatering gooey mix of candied nuts, butterscotch, and a hint of chocolate to round it out. It somehow smells.. fresh, like the pecans and butterscotch are straight from the oven, and you're enjoying a sip of cocoa as you wait for your desserts to cool. It's a very comforting scent.

Blueberry Muffin Batter, (discontinued): "blueberry, brown sugar, vanilla, cane sugar, batter"

When I was a kid, when Jiffy Blueberry Muffin Mix went on sale, my mom would snag a couple boxes and spend a whole morning making multiple batches. This is exactly what Blueberry Muffin Batter smells like. This is a Jiffy Blueberry Muffin tucked into my lunchbox as a child. Fresh blueberries, crumbly muffin, and a sprinkling of brown sugar. The kind of muffin that kinda melts on your tongue. Sadly, Blueberry Muffin Batter was discontinued a few weeks back. I made sure to snag a backup bottle. When it runs out, I'll probably beg Solstice to make me another. On my knees, with lots of money to give. A girl can dream.

Lemon Ginger Creams: "gingersnap sandwich cookies filled with vanilla-lemon cream"

This perfume smells like a freshly opened bag of gingersnap delights. A tart, zingy lemon whip followed by a pungent ginger. There's a slight vanilla wispiness tangled in the ginger crust of the cookies. This perfume contains real ginger essential oil, and has a very uplifting smell. I put this perfume on in mornings when I can use a pick-me-up.

Cafe Mallowmel: "rich coffee flavored with decadent caramel and sweet marshmallow cream"

Fan of how Starbucks smells in the morning, before the big rush arrives? You will love this perfume. Personally, I'm not a coffee person, but this scent gives me a caffeine boost just by smelling it. Bitter coffee balanced out with a fluffy topping of marshmallow cream and a heavy drizzle of caramel syrup. However, this perfume is the first (and hopefully only) from Solstice Scents that disappoints me in wear time. It smells wonderful upon initial application, but within two minutes the scent disappears on my skin. Even smelling from the vial, I had to reinsert the applicator in the vial and pull it back out again in order to get a good sense of the perfume. It almost makes me wonder if I received a vial from a bad batch.

Library: "leather bound books, a carved rosewood mantle, dying fireplace embers, wood wainscoting, cedar shelving and aged paper"

This perfume is essential for any book lover. Library consists of twenty oils, including sandalwood, agarwood, Virginia cedarwood, rosewood and more to create a perfume that envelops you in what can only be described as a luxurious library fit for a princess. Think the castle library from Beauty and the Beast. Imagine Belle slowly pouring over a pile of fantasy novels while her prince stokes a fire. THAT'S Library. Strong woods, leather book covers, glowing embers, and aging parchment make up this perfume that I recommend to everyone and anyone.

Cocoa Mallow: "devilish dark chocolate and fluffy sweet marshmallows"

This scent is so simplistic, yet oh so mouthwatering. Unlike Cafe Mallowmel, this is a hot cocoa scent that smells homemade. Rich, melted dark chocolate transformed into a piping hot cup of cocoa, topped with fresh marshmallows straight from the bag. This was my must-wear scent for Christmas.

Blackburn's Parlor: "vanilla waffle bowl, vanilla and chocolate ice creams, sliced bananas smothered in caramel sauce and topped with whipped cream"

This is such a staple product from Solstice Scents. Though many people compare this perfume to a freshly-made banana split, I've never been able to detect the banana in this scent. Gooey caramel sauce and cooled vanilla waffle bowls are the notes that jump out at me. This ice cream parlor is no Rite-Aid ice cream station, this is the real deal. Everything is made from scratch, and with fresh local ingredients. Somehow Solstice Scents is able to convey that in a perfume.

Sycamore Sugarworks: "caramelized pear tarts, banana apple muffins, spice cakes with rum glaze, cream puffs and maple walnut pastries"

Another must-have from Solstice Scents. Cinnamon, freshly chopped juicy pears, and warm banana apple muffins are the initial notes when smelling straight from the vial. It slowly melts into a mix of maple syrup, brown sugar and pecan, with a hint of flaky pastry. Overall, Sycamore Sugarworks is a gentle, slow stroll amongst glass displays of fresh, warm desserts. You can't just pick one!

With true-to-life scents, gorgeous packaging, and delicately handwritten labels, Solstice Scents is a 10/10 for me. For those wanting to give this brand a try, I'd recommend their 5-pack of samples. It's priced at $12, and all purchases come with an additional complimentary sample. If you make an account on the Solstice Scents site, you get ANOTHER free sample. That's 7 samples for $12, and if that doesn't sound like a too-good-to-be-true infomercial, I don't know what does.

That wraps up my first indie perfume review post! Let me know what you guys think!