Review: Madame Scodioli's Solid Perfumes

One of occupational hazards of working at a perfumery is certainly trying more perfume, which in turn leads to buying more perfume. Case in point: Madame Scodioli's set of 3 Solid Perfume Wee Samples (yes, ironically, they're actually called that - just look at the photos comparing to other brands!) I purchased at Madame's Etsy shop for $16.

Let me start by saying that I just love the image and design of the brand. The travelling circus troupe vibe with its imaginative characters, including Madame herself (the bearded lady) is fun, unique, and certainly a bit geeky. We like.

For my set, I chose the following scents: Dust Shaker (mahogany and sandalwood), Cloven (amber, sandalwood, vanilla) and Boheme (vanilla oak) - isn't the woodsy theme quite obvious here? The scents are ordered, coincidentally, from the most to the least favorite; let me tell you why.

Dust Shaker is a gorgeous, faintly masculine scent in the pot; a bit reminiscent of mahogany-panelled cigar room with opulent volumes on the shelves, and a touch o' travels to the East by way of elephant figurines and plush carpets. The mahogany is almost reminiscent of tobacco here for me, whereas the soft, sweet sandalwood that the fragrance settles into on the skin brings images of flowered temples and monsoon weddings. I like this a whole lot and find it layers beautifully with other fragrances as well (like my classic Burberry EDP).

Cloven is a beautiful, grown-up, non-gourmand vanilla with a touch of feminine woods. This almost feels like a femme fatale kind of fragrance: one that requires a dark lipstick, seamed stockings, high heels and lots and lots of confidence - which, let's be honest, I don't really have. That's why I can't wear it all that often; it just isn't very me and sometimes even feels a bit cloying.

Boheme, unfortunately, is the black sheep here; it reminds me too much of a cheap old-fashioned cologne. The scent is quite pungent, more refreshing than soft, and the vanilla is almost imperceptible to me. Interestingly enough, I know there's a ready-made fragrance oil named Vanilla Oak that many independent perfumers use - I'm not saying this is what Madame used herself, I'm saying Boheme might need something extra for me to like it.

Moving forward, the formulation of the solid perfumes is lovely: they're very solid in the pots, but quickly melt to an oil with the warmth of your fingers and spread on the skin beautifully. I'd say they last good 2-3 hours on the skin, but somehow managed to perfume my dress for full 2 days!

Something to bear in mind: due to the beeswax content, these are not suitable for vegans :)

Compared to other solid perfumes in my posession, they're much easier (softer) to apply than Lush's solids and quite comparable to Sweet Anthem's new formulation (without the coconut oil). I literally have to use my nails to scrape some of Snow Fairy out from the pot; it's certainly not the case with Scodioli's scents. Overall, I think Madame Scodioli's perfumes are definitely worth a try and outstanding quality for the price; I'm thinking of picking up Laudanum (tobacco + black tea) some time soon.

Have you ever tried Scodioli's solid perfumes? What are your favorite scents in the solid form?