Trick or Treat

Rejoice! I have FINALLY found an Alkemia scent that I'm in love with that isn't a limited edition release and doesn't smell like I stuck my face or arm in a candle votive. It smells more like sticking your arm into a bag of crushed up black jelly beans but that's all right with me! I didn't like their county fair scent, I'd much rather smell like a stomach ache on Halloween, apparently. I do enjoy a licorice note, and this one is very reminiscent of Diesel Loverdose, but perhaps even better blended. I don't want to jinx myself here but I will be waiting to procure a 5ml for the fall as it gets closer to Halloween. Just when I gave up hope on this house I found this + 1 other scent still available to really enjoy and make me reconsider. Perhaps another sample pack is in my future after all.

The notes listed here really show what I smell when I wear this - candied oranges with the slightest (but not overpowering or 'candle-like') hint of spices such as the ginger. It smells 'orange' if that makes sense - the only other fragrance to do this for me other than heavy mandarin scents is ELDO's Tilda Swinton 'Like This'. There's a brown, caramelized sugar note under everything too. Unfortunately not super long lasting, which is unusual for Alkemia as I usually find them powerhouses, but it does linger if you spray your hair.

I love this! The cedar is prominent now and I think is what makes it a sexy fragrance—I will be interested to see how the oil develops over time. It isn’t as ooey-gooey as I was expecting but that’s what I think makes it more interesting. There is a sweetness to it of course, but not as foodie as, say, County Fair or Irresistible. More for fans of Libertine or Les Mysteres, in my opinion.

Absolutely deeelicious! Unfortunately (for me) I had to turn it over to my granddaughter, because it was her birthday gift. Starts SWEET and happy-go-lucky, but gradually becomes a bit more grownup. Just not TOO grownup! One of few sweets I've fallen in love with, due to a masterful blend of notes.

Love this one! I get mostly the licorice, orange and a spicy-woody patchouli base. It smells orange and black, which is super apropos for the Halloween theme, but I find myself wearing this scent year round and not just in fall. Lovers of licorice notes should definitely check this one out.

Wow I love this one. This is probabily one of the Alkemia scents that I would buy I full bottle of instead of the mini samples. I love the licorice and how warm it smells. It's so sexy and somthing I would definitely wear on a night out.

I love this so much! It reminds me of black jelly beans.

This perfume has a special place in my heart. It used to be my go-to, but it has a few glaring flaws which has made my eye wander to other perfumes on my shelf as of late. I take no issue with the scent itself. It is gourmand and autumnal, but not in a basic pumpkin spice or apple smell you could find at any bath and body works during certain times of the year. Oddly, it reminds me of a candy-making station in a 'pioneer villages' which were popular fall field trip spots for me growing up. Rather than smelling tooth-rotting, Trick or Treat smells like a candy 'made the old fashion way' in a log cabin on a fall day. The licorice smell seems to reference licorice root rather than a Twizzler, contributing to an earthy undertone which suits the sweet notes surprisingly well without seeming medicinal. The scent makes me nostalgic for the falls of my childhood without screaming "AUTUMNAL FALL PUMPKIN SMELL!!!" the way many fall-leaning products do; allowing it to be worn in other seasons without seeming too out of place. I believe the lack of a stereotypical "fall" smell comes from the ginger. While many note the licorice smell, I find ginger and orange to be the more prevalent scents, creating something familiar but not overplayed. While the length of this review should make my love of it obvious, I can not recommend it without mentioning the projection. Normally I prefer a perfume that will stay close to me to avoid triggering allergies or irritation in those around me, but even I must admit this perfume is just straight-up weak. Even on days when I want some projection, I can't seem to get it past a whisper regardless of how much I use. This seems to be a trend with Alkemia's perfumes. While I usually find the scents themselves to be of good quality, I never know what to expect in terms of strength when worn. Some are quite strong, but a rare few seem to barely exist once their out of the bottle. While they average to a pretty reasonable strength, Trick or Treat is the worst offender of the disappearing act. While your preferences may vary, "Trick or Treat" is so weak I can't imagine it's intentional. My normally strong nose struggles to pick up on the scent even when newly applied in generous quantity, yet despite it is surprisingly long-lasting; taunting you with potential on the rare occasions it does show up hours later before quickly disappearing again. Trick or Treat is the friend that invites you to their friend's Halloween party. They say they'll stick with you, proceed to disappear for hours, be spotted once at the punch bowl before leaving without offering you a ride home. Maybe with a fixative this would not be a problem, but I see it as an issue nonetheless. While no longer my daily go-to, Trick or Treat is still probably the bottle I reach out for the most, if for no other reason than to open the bottle, be transported back to a different time, then put a little bit on as a "note" along with a stronger perfume or put it back without wearing it at all.

I'm so glad I finally ordered a sample of this! Captivating, and in my opinion, shouldn't be rated as a 'female' fragrance - this is firmly unisex, even masculine leaning. Who's surprised, with those oakmoss and wood notes? Trick or Treat combines several elements I already love in a scent that's not as atmospheric as the name suggests; yes, it's definitely for cold weather, but I'm not getting graveyards, ghosts, and big orange pumpkins. This is a slight disappointment to me, but what I've been given instead is just as good. The black licorice is strong and present, but it's dry, not sticky, and I'm grateful for that. It was the note that really caught my eye, and I was hopeful that it would be well executed. What a relief! There's a little sharpness from the ginger, and an herbal element from the patchouli that keeps this scent not fresh, but well preserved, like the sweet smell of dried hay. I definitely agree with the person who called this clean without being soapy. The brown sugar note throughout is delicious, and even though I'm not getting a strong orange, I could easily layer it with something like Lush's Sun if I wanted it. I'm not sure I do though, the composition is fantastic all on its own.

The sillage and longevity on the extrait version isn't great compared to other Alkemia fragrances, so I'd say buy the ultime. (That's what I'll do when I buy my full size) It smells so lovely and unique. It's amazing. I think this will replace my beloved discontinued Lolita Lempicka. It's not similar to LL really, but it's in the same family. It's sweet from the licorice, vanilla and caramelized smelling brown sugar, but not too sweet. The orange, sandalwood, patchouli, oakmoss and cedar really round it out and make it one of a kind. I would almost put it in the gourmand family, but it doesn't smell totally edible. I don't really smell the ginger in this. This really reminds me of fall and halloween, which is my favorite time of year so I find this very comforting. Will update when I buy the ultime version. *update* The ultime has infinitely better performance. It lasts all day and has good projection. The licorice in this concentration is more prominent!

I'm going to chalk this up to a bad batch, but I figured I'd come back anyway and give my review of my full size bottle, which I gave away to a friend a few months ago. The brown sugar note I enjoyed was faded, the licorice was dryer and more herbal than I remembered, and there's a soapiness that's so strong that I had to go and double check if there was an orris note I was forgetting about. There isn't. It's not a good soapiness either, it clings to my throat and makes me feel like I've breathed in a cloud of powder. I wore this oil many times and gave it months to 'settle'. It never settled back into the original scent I liked. I even added a sample vial's worth of Nest's Seville Orange, thinking I could Frankenstein the scent into back something I liked, but I failed there too; the soapiness holds out strong. It's too bad. Maybe I'll try it again one day.

This hints to Mugler's Angel EDP. The spicy and sweet mix, w/ patchouli and licorice really pushing to the front of the line on me. It's balanced well, and this would be a less offensive option for winter weather. This isn't my favorite from the samples I tested (Silken Tent is the best!), but if this is your kind of scent: sweet, spicy, balsamic, woody, and a little mischievous, I think you'd enjoy it.

Orange-y licorice on a cedar and patch base that's just a little dirty. I've tried many Alekmia scents and this is by far one of the best. I wish is stayed a bit more candy-like as it is on the opening; I feel it dries earthy and slightly masc on my skin. Could easily go unisex. Smells fairly natural. I think I like it on cold skin more than warm.

This is weird. I am getting none of the sweet notes *at all*. I am getting only the woody notes (cedar, patchouli, and oakmoss mainly) that together create a very smoky effect, plus the orange peel to keep it from going totally "campfire." In its present form I don't think it's *bad*, but absolutely not what I expected at all. My skin chemistry might just be weird (I already know I amplify patchouli, and I think I amp oakmoss as well). Edit: I tried this again just to be sure... and while I do smell the black licorice in the vial (and I love me some licorice), my skin still gets nothing but smoke. :-(

This one was such a bummer. I was so excited about this perfume but when I put it on it had no scent. Just nothing. Kind of wonder what happened.

Tried this Alkemia fragrance as a sample, It is a licorice bomb. I thought it was going to smell like a bag of Halloween candy. It is just straight licorice on me and that is just a big no no.

I disagree that this smells like Angel, but maybe it's our different chemistry. It's my favorite Alkemia fragrance to date. It goes on orange peel, skin musk, caramel and wood dust, then dries to a fantastic slightly chocolaty skin musk with a note like coriander. Lasts all day at skin-scent level. Oddly uplifting and clean without soapy or aquatic notes anywhere. It doesn't smell like trick or treating to me in any way, but I don't care. Lovely.