Purchased
Nothing says holiday spirit like an "eerily dark and maddeningly still wood", right? I've been cycling through several different fragrances this month in celebration of winter and all the festive cheer that goes along with it. But I keep coming back to Shoikan Grove from Solstice Scents despite not being part of any holiday series or collection.  |
| Rich pine woods, whispering smoke and a slip of vanilla make Shoikan Grove a favorite of mine. |
Shoikan Grove
Full size: 0.35oz glass roll-on bottle for $12.00
Dark Woods, A Warning Distant Fire On The Winds, Fresh Evergreens & A Soft Deceptive Sweetness
Shoikan Grove is the eerily dark and maddeningly still wood that protects the Black Wizard's tower from unwanted visitors. Wandering in the cold, damp copse of trees will cause an adventurer to lose control of his sanity, while the remains of those who've ventured before emerge from the Earth, encircle his limbs with unwavering strength and drag him down to where he will never tread anywhere again, in life.
This blend is comprised primarily of essential oils.
Primary notes of Virginia Cedarwood, Spruce, Siberian Fir, Oak and Vanilla with background notes of Muhuhu EO (very woodsy), Jamarosa Root EO, Sandalwood EO, 2 different Frankincense EOs, Wood Smoke, Copaiba and Peru Balsam. More of a masculine blend but also wonderful for women who appreciate complex woody-smokey-fir scents. The Peru Balsam, Copaiba and Vanilla add a creaminess to smooth out the sharp Spruce and Fir notes. Lovely as a comforting bedtime scent as well.
It's never enough for Solstice Scents to just have an "evergreen" fragrance. Nooo, of course they have to go all out with all sorts of elements that magically blend together perfectly to create something that's more than just pine trees - it becomes a whole mood. Soft smoke, all sorts of marvelous trees, a hint of vanilla and some toasty sandalwood to bring it all together. I'm not even going to pretend to recognize half of the ingredients listed on that lineup (jamarosa root? copaiba?) but whatever they are, they just work.
I especially find myself grabbing my little sample vial a lot this year. I traveled out to Southern California back in November and something about the experience left me feeling a bit unsettled - the temperature never dipped below "comfortably warm" yet stores were stocked with snowy holiday decorations, wool coats, and all sorts of wintry tchotchkes. As someone who spends winters digging out from the snow, watching the Californians fret and talk about how "cold" the weather gets felt surreal. So when I got home, I busted out all my wool sweaters and got as wintry as possible, and nothing in my fragrance collection said "winter" as clearly to me as Shoikan Grove's wooded goodness.
Duration: Shoikan Grove opens as pure woods - it's absolutely delightful and rich, sharp and green. After about an hour of wear the smoke and vanilla notes really shine. The first few times I wore it I kind of scoffed at the mention of how this would make a good bedtime scent, but it's so true. There's something very therapeutic and gentle-vanilla-smoke-trees. Solstice Scents fragrances typically last a at least 5 hours on me, and Shoikan Grove is no exception either. When I apply some before bed, I can still detect traces on my wrists even when I wake up!
Score: 5/5
I can't stress enough that if you're looking for just something that smells like pine trees, Shoikan Grove might not be for you. But if you have an open mind and want something that's beyond just pine trees with layers of complexity that unfold over several hours all the while making you feel undeniably cozy and wintry, you've got to give it a shot!
I especially find myself grabbing my little sample vial a lot this year. I traveled out to Southern California back in November and something about the experience left me feeling a bit unsettled - the temperature never dipped below "comfortably warm" yet stores were stocked with snowy holiday decorations, wool coats, and all sorts of wintry tchotchkes. As someone who spends winters digging out from the snow, watching the Californians fret and talk about how "cold" the weather gets felt surreal. So when I got home, I busted out all my wool sweaters and got as wintry as possible, and nothing in my fragrance collection said "winter" as clearly to me as Shoikan Grove's wooded goodness.
Duration: Shoikan Grove opens as pure woods - it's absolutely delightful and rich, sharp and green. After about an hour of wear the smoke and vanilla notes really shine. The first few times I wore it I kind of scoffed at the mention of how this would make a good bedtime scent, but it's so true. There's something very therapeutic and gentle-vanilla-smoke-trees. Solstice Scents fragrances typically last a at least 5 hours on me, and Shoikan Grove is no exception either. When I apply some before bed, I can still detect traces on my wrists even when I wake up!
Score: 5/5
I can't stress enough that if you're looking for just something that smells like pine trees, Shoikan Grove might not be for you. But if you have an open mind and want something that's beyond just pine trees with layers of complexity that unfold over several hours all the while making you feel undeniably cozy and wintry, you've got to give it a shot!
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