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kutsrostyslav – :
I smell lovely Cabinet wood with lacquer. I don’t smell rosewood,leather or paper at all, nor smoke, just a lacquered antique cabinet. It is true to the cabinet smell, and well done, but I wish there was even a hint of the paper others smelled. Still, there are other Solstice Scents I adore, so I’m not missing this one for my assortment! It’s a great wood scent, for those not requiring the paper note.
Alterbaton – :
The dry down, the dry down! I would actually say that about most of the Solstice Scents line because they all can be great big banging nosefuls at first. But, oh my, the dry down. Yes, it smells as I imagine a library in a stately home would smell, or at least how I’d imagine them to smell in my dreams of stately manor home libraries (yes, I have those dreams – don’t judge!). This scent reminds me of Zoologist Rhinoceros, but much more subdued. It’s Rhinoceros’ more sedate and well-mannered sister. Angela is the master of evocative fragrance and this is another fine example of her genius.
apy042Bessinepome – :
I definitely smell wainscotting and some synthetic leather (in other words vegetal or entirely sythetic, rather than a funky, difficult-to-wear animalic scent). There is a sweet note in the base that I wasn’t expecting, and it clashes with my thoughts of what a library would smell like. The longer it wears, the more it goes into gourmand territory. Library and bakery to me do not go hand-in-hand when it comes to scent. The wainscotting smells interestingly bitter, kind of how I imagine wasabi to smell. Very odd perfume, and I assumed it would be therefore had to try it, but not wearable for me only because of the hint of sweetness. I would have liked it to be more strictly woody. Still, well worth a sampling if you are intrugued by wainscotting as a note!
казёзя – :
I think this is one of those scents you wear for yourself as it does not seem the most crowd-pleasing scent. However, the idea of an old library-smelling fragrance intrigued me and I blind-bought it. I suppose it could be used for more elegant occasions.
There is quality present for what you pay for and if you enjoy rich, woody leather scents, this may be up your alley. The rosewood note is very beautiful and is reminiscent of “leather bound books and rich mahogany,” as Ron Burgundy would say.
I would highly recommend sampling this and any other fragrances from this house before purchasing.
macson99 – :
This is a review of the EDP version of Library, not the oil.
The house of Solstice Scents was created in 2004 by Angela St. John. When you visit the site, before you even get a chance to small the oils and perfumes, you get a feel for her aesthetic, which I happen to highly enjoy: dark, gothic, old houses adorn the site. There’s even an eerie newsletter that she publishes there called The Foxcroft Bulletin (a made-up town, as far as I know) that adds to the feeling of the site being a world unto its own. Angela is one of the only perfumers who has bothered to invest as heavily in the art and aesthetic of her line as she has the perfumes themselves, because she’s fully aware that you can draw people in with a story. It worked for me. Anyone that looked forward to Halloween or haunted houses as a kid will love this site – and many of the perfumes.
As if the art wasn’t enough, we seem to be kindred spirits when it comes to perfume as well. Angela loves the dark, mysterious, woody, incense-laden scents that work best in fall and winter. To that end, I wanted to try Library, an EDP from the Manor Collection. The entire Manor collection (one of the many collections on the site) is based off an old, abandoned house she found, perhaps very much like the ones in the illustrations that adorn her site; each scent was inspired by a room in the house: Kitchen, Library, Master Bedroom, Solarium, and Manor.
For many of her scents, Angela paints a “picture” of notes. Her description of Library drew me in immediately: leather-bound books, a carved rosewood mantle, dying fireplace embers, wood wainscoting, cedar shelving, and aged paper. If this doesn’t speak to the bibliophile in you, what possibly could?
The first blast of Library puts you right in the old Manor: the loyal butler has just lovingly applied tea oil to the mantle above the fireplace. A wood polish note, very reminiscent of Old English polish, lasts a good while on my skin. The butler then lets the fire die down for the night while you enjoy the last of its warmth while re-reading your first edition of Proust’s A la Recherche du Temps Perdu in your cozy, oversized patent leather chair. At the very base, the cedar built-in bookshelves shine through and finishes off the life of the fragrance. It’s beautiful stuff. It’s quite obvious she’s good at painting olfactory pictures that harken back to a certain time and place.
I have anywhere between three and four hours of longevity on my skin, but lasts much longer on clothes. (I didn’t hesitate spraying this on fabric, since it’s not too dark in color). You can get a 60 ml EDP version for $70. If you prefer oils or smaller sizes, there’s also a 5 ml oil option that is available for $16.
Despite Angela liking many of the notes and accords that I do, there’s something for everyone on her site: from the lover of super-sweet gourmands to florals (she came out with a rose/leather for Valentine’s Day that automatically grabbed my attention) to perfumes like this one. She also sells a variety of other products, including body ganache cream (how decadent does that sound?), whipped soap, and glace mists. She’s kind of a one-stop shop for the whole area of scent-related indulgences.