Friday, June 16, 2017

Arcana Wildcraft: This Is Not Canada and Love Her, Love Her, Love Her


Julia was on a health hiatus for a wee bit. I think she has recovered a bit and has been teasing some new releases. The eBay shop is closed at the moment. Before she closed up Arcana Wildcrafts temporarily though, I did sneak in two more bottles to bring home. 


This Is Not Canada- Notes: Sweet jammy Canadian fir absolute and wildcrafted Canadian Black Spruce, suffused by three golden ambers.
I knew this was going to be a good one. And it is. She is a real beaut. In the amber glass bottle, bold evergreens push their way up through the neck in a nimbus of amber clouds, midnight green and smudged. Anointed on the skin, the fir and spruce  present their coniferous offerings illustrated in balsamic shades of sticky sweet sap and cedar bearing woods. As the evergreens dry and age on the skin, a sweet amber accord slinks in like a pine martin between the roots and bases of the trunks,  sinuous and sweet as vanilla.


Love Her, Love Her, Love Her- Notes: An inexorable enchantment of 3 honeys in a base of rich, smoky resins. 
This is one that Julia recommended in the Arcana Addicts Facebook group to buy and store away for a year to get optimal indulgence. I may wear mine a few times before a year is out but I plan on aging most of it per her advice. But I must say, as a bright youth she still smells enchanting. Fresh from the bottle she purses her lips and gently blows out the scent of cimmerian honey and sable whorls of incense smoke. Pressed into the skin, that same smoky incense eddies out in swirling ripples, dusky and glowing with the heat of a bonfire. Autumnal honey, gilded with an edge of spice similar to the oriental Grand Dames of perfumery like Shalimar, Youth Dew and Opium, drips down the wrist amidst the haunting veil of smoke. The tail end of her good-bye is scented in softer refrains of honeyed incense, more powdery and subtle.


Red Giant- Notes: A radiant stellar blend of brightest sweet orange, toasted pumpkin, warm cinnamon, lemongrass, yuzu, pink grapefruit, white grapefruit and sparkling bergamot.
Sparkling lemony citrus, clear spice and a touch of warm pumpkin waft from the amber glass tube. Daubed onto the skin, oranges rise up first, vibrant and tartly sweet. Soon, a spiced pumpkin indulgence follows, while the orange slices remain. It is an interesting combination of chilled and warm. As it dries, the cinnamon and lemongrass merge into a balmy island spice sprinkled over grapefruits and other citrus. A very unique blend.

I am very happy with my two new full bottles. I am eyeing a few more (of course!) like Strawberry Crave Waterfalls and so on. What Arcana scents do you enjoy or are looking to hunt down? Do you enjoy woodsy scents or honey scents? 

6 comments:

  1. They both look wonderful. You are very patient to be able to wait the full year for optimum strength / I have gotten so used to instant gratification Do you ever layer the oils? Have a great day, Ellisa

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    1. They are very nice! Keepers for sure. I have enough other things to wear that I don't mind waiting at all. I have Holy Terror and other yummy resin and honey scents to enjoy in the mean time. It is funny you mention layering oils because I was thinking about doing just that recently. I think I will play around with it and see what happens and report back to you. I know Arcana and a few others make single note oils intended for layering so it must be somewhat feasible and pleasant.

      Hope you are doing well sweet friend! I have a little something coming to you soon.

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  2. I love your description of This Is Not Canada! Your words are gorgeous and so evocative. I had a similar impression of that scent actually, but instead of a pine marten the amber appeared as golden lights flickering among dark green boughs. I could only find a couple of reviews prior to purchasing it, so I'm glad your review is out there now, ready to inspire indecisive folk like myself, haha.

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    1. Thank you!!! I love the scent so much I wanted to do it justice. I can totally get the golden lights twinkling too. The Amber is really lovely in the blend. I am even considering getting a back up bottle and honestly, I don't have room for that. But I am still considering. I wonder when Julia will open back up?

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    2. You did. <3
      I'm not sure when Julia will be opening shop again, but if you are looking for a back-up, This Is Not Canada is currently available at Femme Fatale, which is where I bought mine. And if I make another Arcana recommendation, The Ulda contains a similarly beautiful amber note; to me it gives the impression of being in a northern forest - walking through the cold woods, stumbling upon a cozy, warm cottage and eating little marzipan-covered cakes, while outside sunlight gleams on frozen fir needles. It's really pretty.

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    3. Thanks for the heads up!! That is good to know! And yes my dear, you have great taste... any recs you have I will write down. Ulda sounds flipping gorgeous. Sounds like a festive fall and winter scent. I will be all over that. I saw Julia just posted about opening up here in the not too far distant future. And Peaches Crave Forest?! Yes, please. I am a woods (and amber... and honey... and vanilla... and spice...and .... and ...) freak. So stoked!

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