Before I got 10 free samples from Siberie (store here, Etsy here, I'm listing both since they have different selections), I actually placed an order with them before. I sent the package to Singapore first though, so I just got it recently. I also won a Siberie giveaway and ended up getting a free full-size of Potion D'Amour and samples of Angelica & Mina (which I coincidentally ordered before too XD). Anyway, in my previous order, I ordered a set of 10 samples and got 1 free sample, so now I have a total of 12 scents to review.
And now the scent reviews! As always, reviews are done blind until the TL;DRs are written. If any of the notes surprise me, I write an overview. I've also started adding a "Final Verdict" section to help me keep track of my perfumes and figure out what to destash, since my perfume collection is starting to get messy. Here are the categories I came up with for my "Final Verdict":
Quick Disclaimer: I found that sadly, my skin hates Siberie's vanillas and turns them sour. This will definitely affect how some of the scents smell to me.
"Heavy florals with sweet resins. Notes of night blooming Violets & Orchids caressed by fresh white Magnolias, Hyacinth & Oriental Jasmine hugged with teases of Vanilla and Wildflower Honey. It finishes in an alluring soft powdery base of Sandalwood, Myrrh & Labdanum."
 |
| Yes, the old sample bottles leaked a bit, but the new ones are completely tight and leaking is no longer a problem. |
And now the scent reviews! As always, reviews are done blind until the TL;DRs are written. If any of the notes surprise me, I write an overview. I've also started adding a "Final Verdict" section to help me keep track of my perfumes and figure out what to destash, since my perfume collection is starting to get messy. Here are the categories I came up with for my "Final Verdict":
- Love: Most awesome perfume ever. Need endless supplies of it and will swap my first born child for the last drops of it if it's limited edition.
- Like: Like it, may buy a full size of it, but it's not urgent.
- Interesting: I don't really like it or I don't think I can wear it in public, but I appreciate the artistry of the scent. It's like a beautiful but unwearable runway piece you won't buy on your own, but don't mind owning.
- Meh: It's okay. I like it enough, but may destash for a good price to keep my collection manageable.
- Destash: Kill it with fire.
- Age it: Maybe it will smell good one day. One day. Just wait.
Quick Disclaimer: I found that sadly, my skin hates Siberie's vanillas and turns them sour. This will definitely affect how some of the scents smell to me.
__________________________________________
Angelica
"Heavy florals with sweet resins. Notes of night blooming Violets & Orchids caressed by fresh white Magnolias, Hyacinth & Oriental Jasmine hugged with teases of Vanilla and Wildflower Honey. It finishes in an alluring soft powdery base of Sandalwood, Myrrh & Labdanum."
Oh wow...something smells amazing in this. The top note that's floating around is exactly the kind of complex florals that I'm craving for lately. Light, cool, with layers of velvety florals I can't identify individually, and a hint of a floral bitterness. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure there's vanilla here, because at the base, I'm getting that sour smell Siberie's vanillas tend to turn into on my skin, mixed with a powderiness that can lean either soothing or heavy, depending on your preference. Luckily form me, the vanilla going sour sticks close to my skin and there's also the floral bitterness and powderiness masking it a bit.
This scent is turning a tad too sweet on me, unfortunately. My skin's fault..it tends to amp up sweetness. I still like this scent and think it'll be great on another skin chemistry...it's light, elegant, soft, powdery and velvety florals all at once. It's a florid scent, yet clean and elegant at the same time. If I'm picking an ad for this scent, I'd probably pick this picture:
TL;DR: Complex, elegant florals that's light, soft and velvety with a powdery base.
Final Verdict: Like
Final Verdict: Destash.
Final Verdict: Interesting.
Mmm...creamy coconut...with unfortunately, vanilla going sour on me. Somehow the sourness works with this scent though, like a coconut-lime combo. The coconut is leaning towards turning into sunblock, but it stays mostly delicious on me. It ends up smelling like the most delicious creamy coconut body butter, that has hints of citrus.
TL;DR: Creamy coconut body butter with hints of citrus.
Final Verdict: Meh.
I'm getting this cool, white florals that almost make me think of sparkling, turquoise water. There's also this mung beans smell underneath though. Is there vetiver in this? Vetiver sometimes turn into mung beans on me. The mung beans smell definitely dominate and takes on a bit of a burnt smokiness, which makes me think of burnt mung bean dessert soups. I'm pretty sure something is going wrong in this. Now it smells like trying to hide a kitchen disaster where by spraying it with expensive white floral perfume, but the burnt mung bean soup smell still dominates.
TL;DR: Hiding burnt mung beans with white floral perfume.
Final Verdict: Destash.
"Honeysuckle, Fresh Fallen Rain, Jasmine Sambac, Wildflower Honey"
Clean, fresh honey with in a wet, green leaves. It's a luxurious scent that reminds me of spring time in a fancy hotel. I wonder if there's vanilla in here because at around 5 min, I get hints of sourness that I determinedly ignore because I like the rest of the scent. I start getting bursts of light florals too. It's a bit heavy on the florals and starts making you think of an Indonesian wedding where the bride/parents/wedding planner went crazy and tries to drown the ballroom in flowers, but if you're in the mood for a huge burst of light florals, this is it.
I got traces of a slightly off-putting waxy smell at the base of this, but it stays close to my skin and is drowned out by the light florals, honey and green notes.
TL;DR: Explosive burst of light florals.
Overview: I'm not sure what's creating the waxy scent...I don't think it's the jasmines since jasmines tend to agree with me.
Final Verdict: Meh.
"Pomegranate, Cognac, Clove, Ginger, Dark Amber"
Knowing Kim's passion for history & mythology, I knew there has to be pomegranate somewhere in this, but while I did get sweet, red fruit, it doesn't really smell like pomegranates. It's sweet, light, clean and almost soapy sort of fruity scent. Thanks to the soapiness, the scent does remind me of a shampoo I once had.
TL;DR: Red shampoo.
Final Verdict: Meh.
On first application, I'm getting a sour smell that may be a vanilla going sour on me, and it's mixed with something woody and nutty. Once the scent settles on me about 5 min later, it's really grows on me –it's creamy, but in a more soapy sort of way and smells really luxurious. It smells like a nutty floral soap with a hint of tartness.
It's a warmer, creamier scent than what I like in my current mood, but I have to say it's pretty. It's definitely not a mainstream scent, but it still strikes me as classically elegant and more demure than edgy. It's like a rich hipster who got called up by her parent to attend a social function, and has to be an elegant socialite for a night –elegant, seemingly demure, but still a non-conformist at heart.
TL;DR: Classically elegant and more demure sort of non-mainstream scent.
This scent is turning a tad too sweet on me, unfortunately. My skin's fault..it tends to amp up sweetness. I still like this scent and think it'll be great on another skin chemistry...it's light, elegant, soft, powdery and velvety florals all at once. It's a florid scent, yet clean and elegant at the same time. If I'm picking an ad for this scent, I'd probably pick this picture:
 |
| I wish it's socially acceptable to go to work wearing that head piece. Gorgeous photography by Yvette Leur |
TL;DR: Complex, elegant florals that's light, soft and velvety with a powdery base.
Final Verdict: Like
__________________________________________
Aphrodite
"Wild Freesia, Orange Blossoms, Bergamot, Jasmine, Sandalwood, Musk"
Cottony musk and citrus. I tried using this at different times of the month, and it still doesn't work out for me. It's either cottony musk and citrus where the musky bit gets a tad too heavy on me and smells old lady-ish, or it's a car perfume sort of citrus that gives me a headache.
TL;DR: Old lady or car perfume citrus.
TL;DR: Old lady or car perfume citrus.
Final Verdict: Destash.
__________________________________________
Antoinette
"Vanilla Cake, Buttercream, Caramel, Bay Rum, Dark Cherry"
Almond cherry and burnt caramel. I don't know why this reminds me of children's cough syrup. The kind that smells so delicious that kids want to sneak into the medicine cabinets to drink more of it...but still cough syrup.
TL;DR: The most delicious cherry cough syrup.
TL;DR: The most delicious cherry cough syrup.
Final Verdict: Interesting.
__________________________________________
Elizabetta
"Lime Blossom, Wild Orchid, Sweet Pea, Pink Peony, Cedar Wood"
There's a scent that reminds me of colognes for teenage boys that would have some nautical themed name. It's a tad too sweet on me, but my skin loves amping up sugary scents. Underneath, there's a green sort of scent, but it kind of reminds me of vegetables.
After about 10-15 min, the scent calmed down enough for me to get a citrus note that makes me think of pink grapefruits, and star fruits. The blue part takes a backseat. It's a great summer scent, but somehow strikes me as a very teenage scent. It smells like the first summer scent you'd buy when you were in high school. The kind that would have a very wholesome looking ad with kids in polo shirts like this Polo perfume ad:
I like it, but it's too young for me.
TL;DR: High school summer scent.
Final Verdict: Meh.
 |
| I feel so old looking at this. Objectively, the guy's pretty good looking, but all I want to do is tell him to comb his hair, fix his shirt, and ask him if he's working hard enough for his college applications. Image found on parfumdepub.com |
I like it, but it's too young for me.
TL;DR: High school summer scent.
Final Verdict: Meh.
__________________________________________
Giselle
"Ocean Breeze, Coconut Cream, Vanilla, Fresh Citrus, Beach Air"Mmm...creamy coconut...with unfortunately, vanilla going sour on me. Somehow the sourness works with this scent though, like a coconut-lime combo. The coconut is leaning towards turning into sunblock, but it stays mostly delicious on me. It ends up smelling like the most delicious creamy coconut body butter, that has hints of citrus.
TL;DR: Creamy coconut body butter with hints of citrus.
Final Verdict: Meh.
__________________________________________
Magdalena
"Mirabella Plum, Black Raspberry, Peony, Vanilla, Cotton Candy, Amber"
This is such a beautiful, fruity scent! It's fresh & light, and smells honeyed. I suck at identifying fruits, but it smells like a Japanese pomegranate tea to me. The sweetened ones that come in a bottle. It's definitely some sort of dark red/purple fruit. I can't remember the brand right now, but the pomegranate tea I'm thinking of is this more than just pomegranate tea. Like a lot of Japanese bottled fruity tea drinks, the tea is fragrant to the point where it smells floral, with hints of a black tea sort of smokiness.
It's a gorgeous scent and I like it enough, but I'm not sure if I want to go out smelling like I spilled pomegranate tea all over myself.
TL;DR: Japanese pomegranate tea.
Overview: Ooops, looks like I couldn't guess the fruit combination again. I sniffed it again, it still ends up smelling like the pomegranate tea I was thinking of.
Final Verdict: Like.
It's a gorgeous scent and I like it enough, but I'm not sure if I want to go out smelling like I spilled pomegranate tea all over myself.
TL;DR: Japanese pomegranate tea.
Overview: Ooops, looks like I couldn't guess the fruit combination again. I sniffed it again, it still ends up smelling like the pomegranate tea I was thinking of.
Final Verdict: Like.
__________________________________________
Mina
"Notes of amber, patchouli, rose and sandalwood blends beautifully with nuances of jasmine and citrus to bring out subtle spice undertones. Base notes of delicious vanilla and soft powder completes this rich & captivating scent."I'm getting this cool, white florals that almost make me think of sparkling, turquoise water. There's also this mung beans smell underneath though. Is there vetiver in this? Vetiver sometimes turn into mung beans on me. The mung beans smell definitely dominate and takes on a bit of a burnt smokiness, which makes me think of burnt mung bean dessert soups. I'm pretty sure something is going wrong in this. Now it smells like trying to hide a kitchen disaster where by spraying it with expensive white floral perfume, but the burnt mung bean soup smell still dominates.
TL;DR: Hiding burnt mung beans with white floral perfume.
Final Verdict: Destash.
__________________________________________
Odette
"Honeysuckle, Fresh Fallen Rain, Jasmine Sambac, Wildflower Honey"
Clean, fresh honey with in a wet, green leaves. It's a luxurious scent that reminds me of spring time in a fancy hotel. I wonder if there's vanilla in here because at around 5 min, I get hints of sourness that I determinedly ignore because I like the rest of the scent. I start getting bursts of light florals too. It's a bit heavy on the florals and starts making you think of an Indonesian wedding where the bride/parents/wedding planner went crazy and tries to drown the ballroom in flowers, but if you're in the mood for a huge burst of light florals, this is it.
 |
| This is all from the same wedding. This is a typical Indonesian wedding...crazy ostentatious. |
I got traces of a slightly off-putting waxy smell at the base of this, but it stays close to my skin and is drowned out by the light florals, honey and green notes.
TL;DR: Explosive burst of light florals.
Overview: I'm not sure what's creating the waxy scent...I don't think it's the jasmines since jasmines tend to agree with me.
Final Verdict: Meh.
__________________________________________
Persephone
"Pomegranate, Cognac, Clove, Ginger, Dark Amber"
Knowing Kim's passion for history & mythology, I knew there has to be pomegranate somewhere in this, but while I did get sweet, red fruit, it doesn't really smell like pomegranates. It's sweet, light, clean and almost soapy sort of fruity scent. Thanks to the soapiness, the scent does remind me of a shampoo I once had.
TL;DR: Red shampoo.
Final Verdict: Meh.
__________________________________________
Potion D'amour
"This delectable fragrance opens with notes of Tahitian Vanilla blended with Indonesian Teak, sensuous Sandalwood and a proprietary blend of warm spices with the soft lingering nuance of powder. There is one pinch of a secret floral note in it too!"On first application, I'm getting a sour smell that may be a vanilla going sour on me, and it's mixed with something woody and nutty. Once the scent settles on me about 5 min later, it's really grows on me –it's creamy, but in a more soapy sort of way and smells really luxurious. It smells like a nutty floral soap with a hint of tartness.
It's a warmer, creamier scent than what I like in my current mood, but I have to say it's pretty. It's definitely not a mainstream scent, but it still strikes me as classically elegant and more demure than edgy. It's like a rich hipster who got called up by her parent to attend a social function, and has to be an elegant socialite for a night –elegant, seemingly demure, but still a non-conformist at heart.
 |
| Gorgeous photography by Evgeny Kuznetsov |
Final Verdict: Interesting.
When I first opened the bottle, I got a whiff of the most delicious banoffee pie. Ok, this is too good to be true. It can't smell this great on my skin. When I first applied it on my skin, the banana part gets kind of artificial like a Lipsmackers sort of banana, but the coffee bit just got deeper, a bit more bitter, and richer. This is awesome! Unfortunately, I get hints of vanilla going sour here and there. I really hate the fact that my skin doesn't react well to Siberie's vanillas.
After about 5-10 min, it just becomes Starbucks' Chai Soy Milk Latte with hints of coffee. It's still nice, but I'm kind of sad since I way prefer banoffee pie. I've encountered tons of chai soy milk latte scents, but I've never encountered banoffee pies before. As the scent wears on, the soy milk part becomes dominant.
TL;DR: Banoffee pie with the banana going artificial turning into Starbucks' Chai Soy Milk Latte with hints of coffee.
Overview: Huh..no idea what caused the banana and coffee scent. Did this scent get contaminated when it leaked? As for the Starbucks chai soy milk latte scent, I encountered in it another Siberie scent, Contessa. Here are the notes for Contessa:
Looks like it's the Vanilla, Cinnamon, Clove & Amber combination causing the chai soy milk latte scent.
Final Verdict: Like.
__________________________________________
Sabrina
"Pumpkin Chai, Vanilla Cream, Cinnamon, Clove, Ginger, Amber"When I first opened the bottle, I got a whiff of the most delicious banoffee pie. Ok, this is too good to be true. It can't smell this great on my skin. When I first applied it on my skin, the banana part gets kind of artificial like a Lipsmackers sort of banana, but the coffee bit just got deeper, a bit more bitter, and richer. This is awesome! Unfortunately, I get hints of vanilla going sour here and there. I really hate the fact that my skin doesn't react well to Siberie's vanillas.
After about 5-10 min, it just becomes Starbucks' Chai Soy Milk Latte with hints of coffee. It's still nice, but I'm kind of sad since I way prefer banoffee pie. I've encountered tons of chai soy milk latte scents, but I've never encountered banoffee pies before. As the scent wears on, the soy milk part becomes dominant.
TL;DR: Banoffee pie with the banana going artificial turning into Starbucks' Chai Soy Milk Latte with hints of coffee.
Overview: Huh..no idea what caused the banana and coffee scent. Did this scent get contaminated when it leaked? As for the Starbucks chai soy milk latte scent, I encountered in it another Siberie scent, Contessa. Here are the notes for Contessa:
"Dark Vanilla, Marshmallow, Cardamom, Cloves, Cinnamon, Amber, Sandalwood"
Looks like it's the Vanilla, Cinnamon, Clove & Amber combination causing the chai soy milk latte scent.
Final Verdict: Like.
__________________________________________
Sakhar (discontinued)
"Honey, French Vanilla, Maple Sugar, White Chocolate and a dash of Bay Rum at the base"
Mmmm...burnt caramel. The caramel smells like Starbucks caramel lattes and similar to Solstice Scents's sort of caramel-vanilla. As I wear it, it develops a boozy sort of sharpness to it and starts altering between Starbucks' caramel latte and Bailey's with an extra shot of Kahlua. It's actually a really nice scent, but it's something I've often smelled so I end up not sounding too enthusiastic about it. If this is your first boozy caramel latte sort of scent, I think you'll love it.
Kim told me this has been discontinued since they weren't selling as well, but I'm actually surprised by it. I do find it kind of boring, but I know a lot of people who would like this scent.
TL;DR: Starbucks' caramel latte or Bailey's with an extra shot of Kahlua.
Final Verdict: Meh.
Mmmm...burnt caramel. The caramel smells like Starbucks caramel lattes and similar to Solstice Scents's sort of caramel-vanilla. As I wear it, it develops a boozy sort of sharpness to it and starts altering between Starbucks' caramel latte and Bailey's with an extra shot of Kahlua. It's actually a really nice scent, but it's something I've often smelled so I end up not sounding too enthusiastic about it. If this is your first boozy caramel latte sort of scent, I think you'll love it.
Kim told me this has been discontinued since they weren't selling as well, but I'm actually surprised by it. I do find it kind of boring, but I know a lot of people who would like this scent.
TL;DR: Starbucks' caramel latte or Bailey's with an extra shot of Kahlua.
Final Verdict: Meh.
