Smells Like Christmas, Part Four

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If you haven't read the three previous posts in this series (here, here, and here), let me catch you up. I am looking for another holiday fragrance to add to my collection. I already own a handful of scents that remind me of Christmas, but what I really want is one that has a distinct evergreen note, along with orange and spices. I sought recommendations from various places and found others via the google, but up to now, none have hit the mark. 

A couple folks had suggested that a couple of Pineward Perfumes scents might be what I was seeking, particularly Christmas Wine and Gluhwine. Of course, every time I went to the Pineward site, those particular fragrances were listed as out of stock. Eventually it was on the verge of November and I was getting desperate, so I ordered samples of a few of Pineward's other scents. A few days later, when my samples arrived, I went back to their site to check the notes. Not surprisingly, now that I had placed an order, Christmas Wine and Gluhwine were available, as was Gingerbread. The three came in a November Sampler along with Coffee Tabac and Mint Cocoa. So I placed another order, even though my desperation order included the ultimate winner of my Christmas quest! Read on to find out what that was.

First, let's start with the recommended wine-y fragrances.

Christmas Wine

Cranberry, Plum, Blood Orange, Cloves, Nutmeg, Fir Balsam

Mmm...this is rich and spicy, very much like I imagine a sweet mulled wine would smell. It starts out very strong and dark, which gave the initial impression that it would be best worn in the evening. However, as it settles on the skin, the fruits become more obvious, making the scent seem a bit lighter. While this scent does have the requisite citrus/spice/evergreen notes that I was seeking, the fruit aspect is not what I was looking for, and the fir balsam is just a backup singer.

I've read that this smells like a Christmas candle, and I think that was meant to be negative. Personally, I would love to have a candle that smelled this complex and delicious. And I will be quite happy to use up my sample during the holiday season. Who knows? I might end up buying a full bottle for next year. 

Gluhwine

Cranberry, Champaca, Cherry Compote, Raspberry, Fir Balsam, Chocolate, Davana Attar, Oakmoss, Tolu Balsam, Rose, Frankincense

I knew this one wasn't going to fit my parameters, but I thought it would definitely bring thoughts of the holiday season. The opening is very berry-ful, and to be honest reminds me of the smell of raspberry Jell-O hitting boiling water. That's not at all a bad thing; my Mom used to make gelatin desserts all the time, and while they weren't my favorite things to eat, I did enjoy the raspberry flavored one. And of course it made me think of my Mom, who's been gone for almost 24 years now. The berries fade fairly fast, replaced by floral and balsamic notes. Unlike Christmas Wine, this scent isn't spicy, though it is festive. Both of them feel like I'm missing out by not drinking mulled wine of some sort during the Christmas holidays.

Gingerbread

Ginger, Cinnamon, Cloves, Nutmeg, Wheat Absolute, Butter CO2*, Molasses distillate, Brown Sugar, Black Walnut, Milk, Cream, Vanilla

This one doesn't smell as much like actual gingerbread as I would have liked. There's a lot more cinnamon and clove in this than there is ginger. Many Pineward fragrances have an interesting earthiness to them, and Gingerbread does as well. Unfortunately, there's just so much spice on the top that it's hard to find the buttery cake-like notes that I know are in this one. After a couple hours, the shouty cinnamon calms down, but never gets replaced by the hoped-for wheat, butter, milk, and vanilla. Or ginger. Perhaps this one smells dreamy on someone else's skin, but it doesn't on mine.

White Fir--THE WINNER!

Orange, Ginger, White Fir, Clove, Anise, Pine, Musk, Vetiver, Oakmoss

I was starting to give up hope until I spritzed this one on my forearm. Immediately I could smell the orange and evergreen trees. "WOW!" I yelled, "THIS IS IT!" White fir has all the aspects I was seeking: evergreen trees; spices; and orange. It doesn't smell exactly like the Nest Holiday Candle, which is a bit heavier on the spices and has a more spruce-y green note, but it's otherwise perfect. I worried that maybe the oakmoss and vetiver would be too strong, but I don't even notice them. This perfume is all fir and pine and a surprisingly long-lasting orange note that is propped up with some sprightly ginger. I don't get a lot of clove or anise, but that's ok. There's some musk in the drydown, but it's still mostly evergreen and orange.

When I purchased my November Sampler, I also bought a 37ml bottle of White Fir. My new holiday season fragrance.

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Posted by theminx on Minxstinks
Note: this post is my opinion. I am not affiliated with the companies mentioned in this post or any other companies.