Willow WaxCraft winnings

It’s been about one year since I discovered Willow WaxCraft’s scents on etsy, and became enamored of Samantha’s brand and fragrance style, that first review can be found below. Recently she held a wax giveaway for email and instagram subscribers and I was lucky enough to win my choice of any four scents in her shop. A giveaway of customer’s choosing is most generous, and a tough task for there are many I wished to try.

Samantha appreciates art, beauty and literature. She’s inspired by the craft of perfume which makes for thoughtful layered scent blends that are unlike anything else I’ve tried. Yet, her scents aren’t persnickety or out of reach, something I love is the way she celebrates pop culture with subtlety. Books, movies, art and poetry provide the muse around which the aromas are created. These are my giveaway winnings:

I chose earthy, fresh, clean and bakery. Clamshells typically retail for $5.50 and bundle deals are available in the shop.Lavender Honey Marshmallows: Fluffy marshmallows infused with a bright, sweet-herbaceous lavender and a hint of rich honey. Contains French lavender maillette which is deliciously sweet, clear, and low in camphor, from the Little Bakeshop on the Corner Collection.

A floral lavender made sweet with decadent honey drizzle. Cool airy marshmallows softly materialize as all three notes contribute to this well-balanced blend. I’d love to sniff more of this French lavender oil in other combinations too. It’s not powdery, but pretty, and it’s captured my attention.Thoughts Just Appear: Music is the glue of the world…it’s what holds it all together. A fresh blend of zesty satsuma, frangipani, cozy plaid cotton flannel, and a green, earthy, and surprisingly subtle special ingredient (hint: NOT lots of sugar).

I listened to the Singles movie soundtrack on endless repeat in high school (record players weren’t retro accessories then, I owned the cassette tape). But I didn’t view Empire Records until years later and never identified with it’s cult following, although I agree that music is definitely the glue holding the world together.

I have been craving fruitier scents than usual and it hits the right note with neon bright  satsuma juiciness, always more vibrant than orange. The flannel smells cleaner than expected, not laundry detergent aisle, but not the musty lived-in coziness of a warm boyfriend shirt. I perceive the green note to be of the homegrown herbal nature, yet it get’s drowned out by the linen chords.Primeval Forest: The ancient wilderness, full of memory. Cardamom, cedarwood, loam, rose, and decaying foliage scattered on the forest floor.

I believe this is an allusion to The Lord of the Rings, but I’ve only recently starting reading it and haven’t reached any talking trees yet. The scent profile is utterly dark and dusty and threaded with a powerful woody base. Earthy spice cajoles the crispness from woodlands of dry timbers while the rosy bloom flirts and recedes. Burly aged cedarwood is comforting aromatherapy to me and I do love this. Two cubes melted medium strength in my living room. “There’s a big hayfield up near Buxton…One in particular. It’s got a long rock wall, a big oak tree at the north end. It’s like something out of a Robert Frost poem…” -The Shawshank Redemption
Espero: The conclusion of life’s journey may be uncertain, but it always begins with…I hope. Sweet grass, vanilla, hay bales, tonka, linden blossom, golden musk, and sun-warmed stone.
With tones as subtle as the shifting evening light on a field forgotten by time. The rustle of dry grasses, whisper of faded spring flowers and warm musk tell a bittersweet story.

Both Samantha and I have experienced the solemn film set of Shawshank with a tour of the mammoth Ohio State Reformatory. Happy to find Espero doesn’t read wet grass, although I was choosing it for the lore no matter what. A strong throw and pleasant fragrance emerge, however, it feels flat and not as uplifting as the name suggests.Of these, I’d purchase Primeval Forest and Lavender Honey Marshmallow. Samples were kindly included and certainly not expected with an already generous giveaway.Corner Store: A bag of tart lemon penny candy, frosty bottles of root beer, melting orange cream ice pops, and packs of fruity gum tucked into back pockets, ready for the next adventure. Nostalgic summer childhood treats abound in this realistic bubbly blend.

Moon child: The most vast of empires can arise from a single grain of sand- do what you dream and start wishing. An ethereal blend of rich vanilla, oak, rosewood, vetiver, smooth amber, and musk. I’m grateful for this one, the soothing smokey perfume puts it on my wish list.

Swallowtail: A rain-drenched spring fairy garden. Clean watery notes, tomato leaf, lime blossom, sweet orange, red bell pepper, and ylang-ylang, grounded with soft sandalwood and musk. Contains ylang-ylang essential oil. The most unique and exemplary of Samantha’s blending skills; bright, aquatic and reminiscent of a well-tended garden’s bounty.

Thanks to Samantha for sharing these lovely goods and reminding me of all the uncommon pleasures scents can hold.

Resources:

WWC on etsy | Review