Chandlery

Chandlery is a 2021 release from Pineward, and one of the first to really begin to show the range of the house. While many of the 2020 and 2021 offerings highlight conifers, forest scentscapes, autumnal, pastoral, idyllic and agrestic imagery, Chandlery came along and stirred things up - a lot. To a degree, yes, it's certainly a floral composition, and the tuberose and carnation contribute a soft, dry, powdery flower petal sort of character, and there's a ton of champaca in here for sure, but this isn't a floral perfume. It's incredibly waxy. Beeswax is a major contributor here, and it's definitely used in a way to convey a waxy hardened beeswax candles smell. There's also lavender absolute - not lavender essential oil. This avoids any of the medicinal, astringent, weird stemmy sort of lavender smells, opting instead for that pure, sweet, fragrant purple lavender smell - like crushing a dried lavender bud between your fingers. It's very calming and serene. There is some aniseed-like character lending some unique sweetness, which is bolstered by a healthy dose of whatever unique cinnamon Nick uses. It's heavy cinnamon, yet nothing like apple pie spice or Red Hots. Sweet, warm, earthy, and barky. The same plush, coumarinic hay-like Deer's tongue note from Autumnal shows up, tucked away in the middle, and everything ties together to create this warm, soft, sweet fragrant perfume that is quite waxy, almost slightly indolic, and shows the calming comfort of french lavender absolute, against the soft, waxy sweetness of beeswax. Chandlery is perhaps the most "perfume-like" of the entire Pineward lineup, thanks to the familiar tuberose, carnation, and anise inclusions, and because of this, trends the most "feminine" of the bunch, alongside Alfiryn. It isn't feminine, but I think women would be most comfortable within its scent bubble. Nick calls it, "a perfume of vintage sensibilities", and I understand that. Tuberose and carnation, to some, can smell a little dated, and structurally, this could possibly have a bit in common with older examples - however, because it's composed with an absurd degree of naturals, there really isn't a dated feel. It's timeless. Vintage-adjacent, sure, but it's as "modern" as any Pineward Perfume. Longevity is an easy 16 hours, with the first 8 being quite potent, and projecting nicely for the first 3 or so. There's nothing I can compare this to, because it's just so unique. A keystone display of Nicholas Nilsson's capability as a perfumer, and a beautiful perfume. Chandlery is actually one of my personal favourites, because it's so incredibly different and unique, and one of the best assimilation of such unsuspecting ingredients. It really does, to me, capture Nick's imagery of an old chandler's cottage, filled with beeswax candles and rustic farmstead collections. It captures that cozy, autumnal feeling that so many Pinewards do, and there's just this calming, cozy, pastoral serenity about it that makes it incredibly pleasing to wear. To me, it comes across very "golden" - as in, the golden-brown-tan hues of November - after the peak autumn foliage has withered and fallen - the trees now mostly bare, revealing their skeletons. A rural countryside setting, surrounded by these skeleton trees, and right at the edge of a deep, dark forest. The old farmstead - perhaps the same one from Steading or Autumnal, extends to the forest edge, where the rows of grain are still visible. Where they stop, lies the old stone cottage - ancient and rustic. Through the window, you see the flicker of candlelight. You wander over, and open the door, revealing a friendly woodland witch, working away, stirring a fragrant cauldron of woodland materials for some magical elixirs. Two handfuls of French lavender, a sack of champaca, three cinnamon sticks, aniseed, one tuberose, and some mystery sprigs. The beeswax candles that burn and illuminate the cottage fill the air and imbue the old wicker furniture with a dense, muted, waxy honeyed sweetness. She turns to you, setting the churner aside, and says, "come, dear child. Allow me to show you what your future holds", whilst pointing to the crystal ball on her alter. That's Chandlery.

I loved every single Pineward sample, I was so pleasantly surprised to get such a wide array of scents that all evocked such different forests. Chandlery was the one that made my eyes bug out. This is such a rich, luxurious stand out scent, I about fainted. I second TheSuperSniffer's review almost entirely. This was one of the only "interior" smells from Pineward. Most of their perfumes smell like nature, like outdoors, but this one is, as the name suggests, an interior. The image that came to mind was wearing a lot of white linens in a villa in the south of france. Wide, wood plank floors and beams above, golden light highlighting dust motes. Beeswax candles, dried lavender, and more wafting in from the fields outside. It is cool, comforting, cozy, finding that perfect balance of smelling elegant and regal but not cold and unapproachable. I want to get at least half bottles of most Pineward scents but this.... this is going to be a full bottle and one to spare.

I’m happy to see this perfume added to the database. Chandlery is one of my favorite “non foresty” fragrances to come from Pineward, who might as well be my favorite house to date. I’d defer to TheSuperSniffer for a beautifully written review of the notes and presentation, and would instead describe how Chandlery resonates with me personally. To put it simply, Chandlery is delectably calming and grounding. The other Pineward creation I associate this feeling with is Eldritch, though they’re not very similar. Chandlery is the soft and sweet floral beeswax atmospheric that is worthy of the word beautiful. I don’t think beautiful is a mandatory descriptor for superb fragrances and I’ve sampled a few truly beautiful fragrances that I’m not particularly drawn towards. Chandlery however is both for me personally as I find it equal parts beautiful and comforting. This would my scent to wear while winding down as the sun sets and reflect back on a day well spent.

This is reminiscent of a living history museum, and I mean that in the most complimentary way. Think creaky but spotless wood floors, an open door with warm sunlight pouring in, docents in soft cotton dresses giving demonstrations, a gift shop at the exit selling quilts and old-fashioned handicrafts. It smells nothing like generic autumn scents or that artificial cinnamon that chokes you when you enter a craft store around Halloween. Creamy, natural, uncontrived.

Chandelry opens as a boozy floral with notes of cherry and anise (think like a Ricola but in a very pleasant way). this is propped up by cinnamon and vanilla and gives the fragrance a powdery character. As it develops the honey and carnation cuts through blends with the herbaceous quality and reminds evokes Opium for me (my mom's favorite) as a result this leans quite femme.

Waxy, honeyed, lavender with floral touches. Incredibly smooth, not a single rough edge in sight. The transition between the floral and sweet notes is both impeccable and addicting. Something about this does feel antique, much like the namesake. It’s by far the most approachable Pineward offering.

I got a little set of Pineward samples and am working my way through. So far I want them to be more complex than they are, but each seems to have one note that just amps through the ceiling on me. For Chandlery it’s the beeswax, and I suppose vanilla. I had hoped this would be more subtly sweet but it’s VERY sweet on me - not unpleasant but distinctly so. I do find the beeswax note interestingly and quite strong. I wish this had something green/earthy to round it out a bit, though. All the Pineward samples I’ve tried are quite potent as well - two sprays lasts the whole day and projects quite well.

**discontinued 3/1/25, get a bottle beforehand!** The smell of a chandler's shop closed for the season due to the roaring winter, home to people who make handcrafted beeswax melts and lavender soaps to sell, in order to afford firewood to keep themselves warm in the cottage. Super unique, phenomenal performance, hit or miss scent.

I used this one day and kinda liked it. Smelled like a pinetree with sweetness. But, and this is something I think just my bf can notice with his super nose, he smelled me after 24h and asked what is this vanilla perfume I am wearing. He liked it. So maybe I start wearing this on dates the day before date xD

Cinnamon and anise come in hot upon first spray and then mellow out to reveal beeswax and lavender. I definitely prefer those softer notes to the spices.

Rich, sweet honey with cinnamon spice but not too heavy or intense to be a summer fragrance. My favorite from the house.

smells like a combination of the inside of a metaphysical supply shop and an antique store. it's lovely and comforting.

Wow this is great. Kinda like a hippie Christmas

This smells like a grandmother, in a good way.

My girlfriend works as a honey spinner, and I love the scent of being in the frame room, especially getting my nose up in the freshly melted beeswax- so, yes, maybe I have an unrealistically high standard for beeswax scents. unfortunately while wet this scent strongly reminds me of the times she’s had me smell fermenting frames from a dead bee hive- if you know it, you know it. On the dry down it loses the animalistic notes and turns into a very classy handmade block of soap on the gift side of the beekeeping shop. It retains this soapiness for a few hours. Through what I can only describe as alchemy- when it finally settles into my skin, there it is, the scent that follows my girlfriend home after she’s spent a long day uncapping honeycomb. By that point, the sillage gets pretty intimate. I was planning on giving this to her but I might just have to keep it so I can keep a little bit of her magic wherever I go.

On me, I get cinnamon and LOTS of cinnamon. In the same vein as a christmas candle. So, in that way, it is somewhat reminiscent of Youth Dew but the cinnamon isn't as class and aged as that perfume. I think the carnation is the second note I get heavily and I am not of real fan of that note. I think it leans feminine and, at least so far, it is quite a powerful scent. I have a feeling it will be lasting awhile also. You should definitely get a sample set of the entire offerings from this house as they are quite reasonable and quite ample. You will have plenty for many wearings and I am sure you will find something you love. I won't be getting a bottle of this but I can appreciate it for what it is.

This opens with warm and dry spices and heady creamy florals. The beeswax is definitely a strong waxy accord all throughout the scent, it feels like a bouquet of flowers sealed with honeyed wax and sprinkled with cinnamon and anise. The florals are warm, very fragrant, like the smell of flowers in a vase after they’ve bloomed, and are due to wilt in the next few days. The vanilla definitely takes the sweetness to another level, it’s almost too much, especially with such strong and fragrant florals. A lot of notes here are very strong so it becomes a little convoluted. I think I could definitely like this more if the florals weren’t so strong in relation with the rest of the notes.

Does it smell natural? Yes. Is the performance good? Also yes. However, the sweetness unfortunately comes more from beeswax than from vanilla. I really wish it had been vanilla instead. The champaca note is quite prominent as well, and it’s not a note I personally enjoy. I couldn’t detect any lavender, which I would have preferred to be more pronounced. I used up my tester happily during the winter cold, but a full bottle isn’t for me.

sprayed on paper: beautiful anisic beeswax scent that i was so excited for. unfortunately this brand does Not mesh well with my skin and everything smelled super candley on me. it smelled beautiful on my girlfriend however so it's still a love from me. not everything can be for everyone

Insane longevity and sillage! Likely the strongest Pineward there is, at least ouf of the 24 I've tested.

I absolutely love this perfume. Opens w/ a gorgeous lavender, that is not extremely masculine but just like brushing up against the lavender flowers and they kiss your skin w/ their scent. Nothing medicinal, only floral, purple heaven like the lavender flower smells in nature. Then it goes into a smoky, spicy carnation w/ cinnamon and beautiful honey-soaked tuberose and champaca. Waxy, heavy, indolic, herbal, smoky, sweet, spicy. This is natural perfumery at its finest. If you like tuberose and champaca like I do but want a different and unique take on it try Chandlery. It isn't like any other tuberose and champaca dominate perfume I have ever tried. Full bottle worthy. Unique, high quality, wearable, rustic, romantic and still sophisticated. You will smell divine but not like anyone else when you wear perfumes from this house.

Chandlery is a delicious anisic fougère with fresh lavender buds ala Caron pour un Homme, set against an effortlessly supple backdrop of cinnamon and vanilla. Captures that lost-relic feel of vintage seventies masculines while also embracing a prewar dandyish array of peripheral white florals. High quality materials and judiciously crafted proportions make it a thing of beauty, and the best I've encountered from the house. Recommended.

Noooo why did they discontinue this? :( i got a sample set of about 100 fragrances and this one was a clear standout for me, in my top 5 samples from the whole thing. The house has a few sweet offerings that i think they really missed the mark on- i thought this was their one perfect execution of a sweet more mainstream-y type of affair. But it was also so light and just great quality ugh bring it back please!

When I first sprayed this I could only think of Feve Gourmande by Guerlain. Like it genuinely smells extremely similar. It smells like Feve Gourmande if you threw in some specific scent from a specific place in my childhood. I don't remember what. Also, it reminds me of the Crisp Morning Air candle by Bath and Body Works.

Very unique lavender/beeswax fragrance. A little bit of florals. Honestly I have no idea if I like it or not. But like other Pineward fragrances I can appreciate how natural smelling it is.

like being stuck inside a candle :( it's not burning, but the sweetness of the wax threatens to suffocate