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December 13, 2014

Indie Weekends: Solstice Scents Winter Collection Review

Solstice Scents released their Winter Collection and I couldn't not get the entire winter perfume sampler, it's basically a tradition by now. Solstice Scents are some of my favorite perfumes, and usually I love everything.

Solstice Scents is an indie bath and body and perfumery, that sells perfumes, whipped soap, body ganache creams, bath soaks, and their burnishing glace sprays, which are kind of like body mists or can be used as bath oils. They are based out of Florida, and offer a main collection scent line, as well as seasonal collections that can mostly be ordered all year in sample form.


ShippingSolstice Scents is always very quick to ship orders, and this one was no different. My order shipped 2 days after I ordered and arrived in 4 days via USPS from Florida to California.

Product Size - Perfume samples are in 1 ml vials.

Free SamplesSolstice Scents always includes one free perfume sample with every order, that you get to pick at checkout from a dropdown menu.


I don't know how I did it but I somehow managed to forget to put Nightstar in the photo...it escaped somehow, but I will still review it!

Buttered Rum Mallow - "Rum, Marshmallow, Nutmeg, Cardamom, Clove, Butter, Cinnamon, Vanilla, Brown Sugar & All Spice."

This is pretty spicy, out of the bottle I immediately get the nutmeg and cardamom. On the skin, the clove comes through and a little bit of butter. I can't tell if my skin is amping the spices, but they are strong. I probably won't be able to wear this one unfortunately, strong spice smells don't agree with me. After dry down it does mellow out, and it smells more like cardamom and the butter rum. I don't usually care for cardamom in perfumes. I think it smells terrible, but in food it's good, so I have to pass on perfumes with it in it.

Dark Ginger Spicecake - "Gingerbread, Woodsy Musk, Patchouli EO and Vetiver EO."

I can pick out the patchouli and gingerbread in this, it definitely smells more masculine to me. Like a mens cologne or deodorant or something. It smells a little sweet, but also musky. This will probably be one I put on B to see how he smells with it on.

Flintlock - "Tobacco, Saddle Leather, Virginia Cedar, Black Pepper, Woods, Bayberry & Evergreens."

Definitely a masculine scent, I get the tobacco, the cedar, and a hint of the pepper. Very woodsy and like something a hunter or cowboy would wear. This will certainly be going on B, because this is the kind of scent I like on men. Very rugged and woodsy.

Lemon Ginger Creams - "Gingersnap Sandwich Cookies Filled With Vanilla-Lemon Cream."

Oh wow, this smells amazing! Like lemon cookies, which I love. I can't detect much of the gingersnap portion, but I would say if you like gourmands, lemon scents, or sweet scents this will be just perfect for you. I would love this as a whipped soap. So yummy!

Nightstar - "Nutmeg, Patchouli, Frankincense, Myrrh, Woods and Lemon."

Just looking at the notes for this I could have predicted this would be my least favorite of the whole collection, and I predicted right. All I get is the headiness of the patchouli and frankincense. It's just not my kind of perfume. Solstice Scents tends to have at least one perfume in each collection that's kind of like this, where I know I won't like it, and then I try it and sure enough I don't like it. Too strong for my tastes.

Outpost - "Sugar Crystals, Spruce, Fir, Soft Woods, Bayberry, Mistletoe, Amber."

I get the spruce and the fir immediately, with a little bit of sweetness and the bayberry and amber following. For some reason my brain also says I smell something orange in this, but it's probably just me. It's not too woodsy, which I would expect with the notes, but the sugar keeps it in the sweet category.

Snowmint Mallow - "Peppermint, Vanilla Cake, Flaked Coconut, Sugar Cookies & Marshmallow Creme."

Yep, peppermint and marshmallow cream. It's a combination that's been done before many times from many different companies, but I think this might be the best version I've smelled. It reminds me of those after dinner mints that sort of melt in your mouth. After a little while I can start to smell the vanilla cake and sugar cookies, but it's just a good peppermint bakery kind of scent.

Snowshoe Pass - "White Amber, White Musk, Vanilla Accord, Peppermint Cream, Cold Winds."

Oh wow, this is a lovely vanilla perfume. The white amber and musks lend it to be very feminine and sweet smelling. The peppermint cream is very subtle, it's heavier on the cream than peppermint. I really like this one. I've always heard of people who have problems with "white" scents, like white amber and white musk, but this gives me no problems. Just wonderful, this is something I could definitely be tempted to buy full size.

Sugarvale - "Candied Pecans, Butterscotch, Buttered Rum, Brown Sugar, Maple Syrup, Hot Pralines & Milk Chocolate Cocoa."

So much yum going on in this one! It smells mostly like butterscotch or brown sugar to me, but it's also not overwhelming either. It's just a sweet gourmand. I like it, but it smells kind of one note to me, I wish I could pick out some of the other notes.

Winslow's - "Rows of Christmas Trees, Clove Studded Oranges, Bayberry Tapers, Handcrafted Wreaths & Mistletoe."

"Clove studded oranges" as a perfume note admittedly worried me, because I don't care for most clove scents, but you can barely even smell the clove in this. I definitely get Christmas trees and oranges though. This would be great as a home scent especially if you like the smell of a real Christmas tree, but don't have one. It smells like Christmas pretty much.

Overall, I think out of the collections I've tried from Solstice Scents so far, this one has been my favorite. I tested a bunch of them on my arm and then put my jacket on and went out, and when I came back and took my jacket off, I was like "I smell so good!" It's definitely difficult to pick favorites because they are all just so Christmasy and wintery smelling, but Snowshoe Pass was my all time favorite, and I also loved Lemon Ginger Cakes. B will be sporting Flintlock whether he likes it or not! I would love to be able to get a few of these in other forms, like whipped soap or as a room spray.

Customer Service - I did not have to contact Solstice Scents about any problems with this order, nor have I ever had to contact them about a problem.

Availability - This perfume sampler is still in stock, and the scents are also available in other forms as well including, full size perfumes, body ganache, and whipped soap.

Overall Satisfaction - This may be my favorite Solstice Scents collection I've tried so far. Snowshoe Pass was my favorite, closely followed by Lemon Ginger Cakes. I will continue to order from Solstice Scents since their perfumes are so spot on, high quality, and perfect seasonal scents.

What did you think of the Solstice Scents Winter Collection? Let me know in the comments!

For all other Solstice Scents reviews, click here

3 comments :

  1. Solstice Scents has become my absolute favorite indie perfume company. I just reviewed the Winter Collection, too, and I think we actually had the same opinions this time! I was really impressed with the wide range of scents in this collection, and how great they all smelled. Mr. Danger is obsessed with Flintlock and I think my favorites are Lemon Ginger Creams and Outpost, but I'm going to give it a few weeks before I decide. (With the Autumn Festival Collection, I initially was meh about Foxcroft Fairgrounds, but then it really grew on me and I ended up getting a full-size!)

    Great review, I always enjoy reading your opinions on indie perfumes!
    -Rebs

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    1. Have you tried Darling Clandestine yet? That might be slightly winning out for me over Solstice Scents, but yes I love pretty much everything from SS. I also loved Outpost, just not as much as my other favorites! Thanks, I've been catching up on your advent calendar posts, what a great idea!

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  2. I've been slowly putting together a wishlist for Darling Clandestine, but I haven't ordered anything yet. (I was going to do her Black Friday sale, but then I went over budget on Black Violet's sale instead. Oops...) She's definitely next on my list to try though! Glad you like the advent calendar!

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