Solstice Kyphi

Balsamic, sweet and boozy with slight greeness to it. Oh how adorable! Kyphi is a sweet delicious amber and incense. I smelled a sample and before I saw the notes I thought it was: vanilla, incense, balsams and some green notes. I did not detect wine of dried fruits. This smells so much like Christmas! Like the joy of waiting for December...

43rd EDP: Ah, overall this was a winner for me and smells like sweet incense that I would burn (though these days I cannot tolerate smoke, as it scratches my throat). This does not bother my throat and it is resinous, fruity, deep, smoldering, sweet, powdery, honey muskiness, nicely balsamic; it truly smells like real incense (not a synthetically perfumed incense, like some are). And it morphs beautifully over time, smelling wisps of this and that, like you can smell in real burning incense. When I use my EDP samples a bit longer, I may go for a fb. It is heavy, best for cool weather, and used with a light touch. It is unique and not for everyone. I like dark scents and this variety of incense. It is well made for what it is, kyphi incense. I believe this would be the closest to the real thing based on ancient kyphi recipes. So if you like smelling like balsamic incense, give it a shot. 8.5/10

If I go by the name, notes, and description, I can sense a dusty Middle Eastern temple of some kind in a land flowing with the Biblical proverbial milk and honey (or, per notes, wine, incense, and honey). It sits close to the skin and is pleasantly evocative. However, if you gave me this sample unlabeled and I smelled it blind, I would get an entirely different impression. To me, it reminds me of a kindergarten classroom. A place of blocks, crayons, and lots of roaming, squirming semi-hygienic children. There's something comforting to me about that kind of imagery, which is why I like this fragrance. Yet, I wouldn't want to revisit this smell on a frequent basis.

First sample I tried from this house. It's nice to encounter a fragrance where the reported notes line up with how the actual juice smells. Incense, dried fruit, honey, wine, spice? All there. Overall, it's kind of a Christmas shop crossed with a hippie shop. Muskier as it develops. Arguably a scented candle, but I think I'd wear it. I was apprehensive about ordering a fruity scent, but there's nothing "shampoo fresh" here, and it doesn't require high tolerance for sweet notes.

Off the top this is very strong on the myrrh and spice notes for me. It smells like stepping into a very unique antique collector's shop with incense burning. It's not smoky but it reminds me of warm smoky rooms so I think of smoke. It's very interesting. On the dry down the honey comes forward but not in an overly saccarine way. It's a really really nice scent. Just not quite for me. I prefer a little more sweet.

The galangal and lemongrass are just too forward for me to enjoy this fragrance. I keep sniffing through wear tests and I just can't seem to like it at any stage. It's oddly sour but not tart. I get floral sweetness, a hit of honey, a bunch of beeswax, but it never smooths out. I sense the myrrh and frankincense but they stay flat. The wine and raisin notes lack richness. Maybe if this was a touch more tart, or had some spice, or something dark to give a bit of edge, it would speak to me... Considering the exotic notes listed, this is a very soft spoken scent. Review of official PERFUME EXTRAIT rollerball purchased directly from SolsticeScents.com

Got a sample of the Eau de Parfum. The description on the Solstice Scents website sounded quite intriguing, but the actual scent reminds me of a fall-fragranced Yankee candle. Cinnamon and fall-candle-scent. Not my choice for a perfume.