So, I got pretty much every scent from this collection. By far, my most favorite collection.
I posted this on my blog here but I'll paste the text here as well.
I have full sized bottles of Russian Caravan, Nightstar, Spiked Nog & Nutmeg, Snowshoe Pass, and Dark Ginger Spicecake.
I also got my sister a bottle of Sugarvale.
I have samples of Flintlock, Outpost and Bayberry.
Now, what do I think of them? I'll start with the full sizes and go from the ones I like least to the ones I like most.
Russian CaravanOfficial description: Smoked Black Tea, Leather, Pomegranate, Black Currant, Amber & Pink Peppercorn
This is my least favorite out of the bunch. My boyfriend picked it out; he's dutch and black currant (cassis)flavored stuff is extremely popular in the Netherlands. The leather is the scent I smell most and I'm not crazy about it. There is a lovely, strong undertone of sweetness from the amber, and fruitiness though. The leather wears off after awhile and leaves mainly the fruitiness, which I really like. This one is definitely starting to grow on me, but I still have difficulty liking the leather. I don't smell any black tea notes when I wear it. As a whole, this scent is pretty strong. It's overpowering all the other scents I have on for this post. ;p
NightstarOfficial description: Nutmeg, Patchouli, Frankincense, Myrrh, Woods and Lemon
I really like this one, but it's not "perfumey" to me. I like to use this one before bed to ground and calm me. Nightstar has a very strong patchouli note which mingles with the frankincense and myrrh. It doesn't smell like lemon, but I can smell a slightly lemon-y addition, it just melds with the other scents very well. Disappointingly, I can't detect any nutmeg. I do like this scent very much, I love patchouli <3 it's just not my favorite.
Spiked Nog and NutmegOfficial description: Scented with Creamy Egg Nog, Nutmeg Essential Oil and a Dash Of Rum
This is a re-release, and I actually got it last year, but I wanted to include it anyway. I absolutely love egg nog, how it tastes and smells, so I knew I had to get this scent. The most prominent note is the nutmeg, it's very strong. Underneath the nutmeg is a creamy egg nog scent. To me, as a whole, this scent does not smell exactly like egg nog, but I till love it anyway. It's a strong, spicy egg nog, not a creamy, milky scent. I don't detect the rum very much, it blends with the spicyness. This scent is like a sharper, spicier, much less sweet version of the ginger bread and vanilla scent. This scent is very winter-y to me.
Dark Ginger SpicecakeOfficial description: Gingerbread, Woodsy Musk, Patchouli EO and Vetiver EO
I absolutely love this scent. I got a sample of it last year, and I didn't like it as much at the time. I hadn't gotten used to patchouli yet, but this scent quickly grew on me. By the time this collection came out I knew I had to get the full size. This scent is sooo delicious. It's a really lovely gingerbread, but not too sweet because of the earthiness from the patchouli and vetiver. It's foody, but not too foody and sweet. The earthiness i very strong; it smells like a gingerbread man that someone dropped into dirt. Definitely near the top of my favorites list. Extremely winter-y, and a great alternative for people who like something different than sweet vanilla-y scents.
Snowshoe PassOfficial description: White Amber, White Musk, Vanilla Accord, Peppermint Cream, Cold Winds
By far, this is my second favorite perfume/scent ever. It's sweet, but not foody. The peppermint is barely detectable, it melds so well with the other scents. Angela described it very well as the "cold version of Pharaoh", which is my first favorite scent. (snowshoe pass might quickly move into #1 though). This scent is difficult for me to describe, it's not really like anything else I've smelled before, except Pharaoh. It has the same musky notes, but it isn't as sweet, and, just "colder". It's really amazing, and I love this scent SO much.
SugarvaleOfficial description: Candied Pecans, Butterscotch, Buttered Rum, Brown Sugar, Maple Syrup, Hot Pralines & Milk Chocolate Cocoa
This is a scent that I wouldn't buy for myself, it's very sweet and foody. But my younger sister loves this kind of scent best. It reminds me of sugar cookie/bakery scented candles. I don't smell the pecans or milk chocolate much, I don't really smell any of the scents in the description specifically. They all meld together to make a sweet, cake/bakery type scent. My sister absolutely loves it.
~Samples~
OutpostOfficial description: Sugar Crystals, Spruce, Fir, Soft Woods, Bayberry, Mistletoe & Amber
This scent starts out smelling like a forest. Very strong fir and spruce, like a christmas tree. There's a bit of bayberry in there too. I gave this sample to my brother after I got it in the mail, so I have yet to wear it all day. But smelling it after my brother wore it, it seemed to turn into <a href="http://www.solsticescents.com/THORNWOOD-THICKET-PERFUME_p_301.html">Thornwood Thicket</a>, or what it smells like after wearing it for awhile. A very sweet, woodsy scent. I do enjoy this one very much, it's definitely a wintery scent. I won't get this one in full size because I've already bought too many already, but I really like it.
FlintlockOfficial description: Tobacco, Saddle Leather, Virginia Cedar, Black Pepper, Woods, Bayberry & Evergreens
This one is definitley surpisingly good. I'm not crazy about leather or tobacco, but they play a minor role in this scent. Out of the bottle it has a soft woodsy scent, slightly leathery but it's very subtle. Because I have Russian Caravan (Gotta have all the scents on so I can describe them!) on it smells much more leather-y than when I put it on alone. After qearing it for a few minutes it starts to smell like a burning fireplace. This isn't a strong scent, but pleasantly woodsy and smokey, and not sweet at all. Flintlock so far has been the one scent pretty much my whole family enjoys. I'll probably get a full size for my brother for christmas.
BayberryOfficial description: Traditional Yule and Christmas Scent
I got this sample last year, but since it's been re-released I figured I should add it as well. This simply smells like a christmas tree. It's very sharp and strong, and a little overpowering to me. After wearing it awhile it does softly smell berry-ish. I really like it, but not enough to buy the full size.
