Brand: Hexennacht
Scent Description: marshmallow-topped hot cocoa, rice, wool, crêpes, leather-bound antique books, and old, wooden bookcases.
A collection of indie perfume reviews
Brand: Hexennacht
Scent Description: marshmallow-topped hot cocoa, rice, wool, crêpes, leather-bound antique books, and old, wooden bookcases.
A saltier, coffee version of Sixteen92’s Sick Sad World. I like it!
I wanted so much to like this. But it’s truly difficult to love. Aziraphale has that particular burning plastic smell I’ve noticed from a couple “leather-bound book” blends (I suspect a particular fragrance oil to be the culprit), combined with a dry, bitter cocoa powder note (more Swiss Miss than creamy chocolate), with an additional bonus of spoiled milk. The concept is there but the execution is not.
Uh oh. I kind of get Whip vibes from this in the bottle. Maybe a little more nuanced version, but I wasn’t big on Whip, so I’m hesitant about this. It’s much lovelier on my skin, the leather retreating some to a grounding role, which lets the cocoa and marshmallow shine. Sweet, cuddly, and warm. It’s nice, though I could go for more cocoa. I feel like it balances the leather better than the whispery marshmallow can. I also have a feeling I would like this blend just as much or even more if that leather wasn’t there… or if it had the book pages smell that Hexenhaus captures. That would make it read as “old books” and not just leather. I’m so damn picky about leather! On another note, I am grateful that the wool note here doesn’t seem to amp on my skin the way shearling did in Where My Uggs At? I guess I could wear this, but my gut is telling me it would be better suited as an atmospheric winter home fragrance. I’m not really thrilled with it as a skin scent, so I won’t be upgrading. It is good, just not spectacular. Soft pass.
How is this so perfect?!?! As always, my chemistry prefers the more atmospheric notes, so I don’t get a lot of marshmallow or cocoa. On me, I get this wonderful, strong wool aroma, which blends seamlessly with the foody crepe and creamy rice. I’ve had wool and sweater scents from other places that were, I don’t know, too much? But this is just right. It’s cozy and warm; I can smell the fuzziness of the material. I don’t know what to say about the crepe note, other than it’s spot on. It’s so true to life and I would risk the guillotine for a stack of them. There’s a touch of sweetness, like a spot of sugar in your tea. I get a whiff of the cocoa and marshmallow here, like a good vanilla crepe with a cup of cocoa. The rice is there but but not strong, it’s all about the wool and crepes, but I get whiffs of warmth from a rice cooker. Those 3 notes dominate the blend for me, but the other notes are there, underneath, adding body and character. I catch a touch of the leather and wood, so familiar, and like the wool, comfortable. Old bookshops are my happy place, and it’s such a specific scent. If you’re a fan of taking an old book and flipping the pages to get a faceful of that smell, you know what I’m talking about. It’s in this blend. I can feel the pages tickling the tip of my nose and whispering their words. This blend is 100 percent Aziraphale.
This is such a cozy scent!! I’m admittedly not a big fan of gourmands, but I think this has enough other notes to not scream “chocolate”. The wool and rice make it so smooth and rich, while the leather tempers the chocolate perfectly.
Just as a side note in regard to the other review– I don’t get cinnamon at all. Usually if there’s even a hint of it, my skin amps it to the max (All Souls Night and Unbaptism were unfortunate examples of that). So, as always, YMMV =) It’s definitely worth the risk, as this is one of the most complex, interesting scents I’ve tried!
Sweet, creamy, spicy, savory, and woolly. Cinnamon flavored hot cocoa with marshmallows on top, leather, wool, crêpes, and rice. Not getting anything that reminds me of paper or wood.
Honestly, this is a bit of a disappointment. With few exceptions, I really do not like cinnamon. I know there’s no cinnamon listed in this so I highly doubt it’s actually cinnamon that I smell… but nevertheless, to me it’s very present. The leather note is pleasant – soft and well-worn. I don’t like the wool note as much as I expected to though. There’s something a touch off about it. Something almost sour. I can’t say I’ve tried many scents with wool notes, so I’m not sure whether it’s just this wool note or wool in general. The crêpes and rice seem to add an almost savory element, which I’m not a fan of in this particular blend.
It’s so odd though. I can smell all of these things, yet somehow it doesn’t smell nearly as complex as I’d hoped.
Not for me, but it is interesting and I do recommend trying if only for that reason.