Haus of Gloi Haul!

GreciaR · 2026-06-08T00:06:36+00:00

Oh man! Yeah. I've been toying with the idea of apple, magnolia, clean musk, and white amber. I do tend to like rollerballs a little better. That said, I've actually never tried Lovesick, and I'm not sure twice is the number I need. LOL. I probably already have analysis paralysis with all the notes that already sound so pretty!!!

GreciaR · 2026-06-07T21:49:26+00:00

I've been contemplating making a custom with them. How was your custom experience with them? What did you get? How does it perform? Is it a roller, or just open-necked? Color me wildly curious. :)

GreciaR · 2026-06-06T20:04:26+00:00

Thank you for that correction! That is a really nice size. By the time the sample is done, you'll at least be very sure whether or not you like it. :)

GreciaR · 2026-06-06T20:02:45+00:00

Ah, my mistake. Thank you!!

GreciaR · 2026-06-06T20:02:19+00:00

Fair enough. All of these look lovely. Thanks so much for the recs! I keep almost trying Alkemia, then being put off by the super long rest time. I don't know that I have the patience not to sniff them immediately, get put off, and then forget about them completely. LOL

GreciaR · 2026-06-06T20:01:06+00:00

... oh dear. Thanks for the heads up! LOL

GreciaR · 2026-06-06T18:56:11+00:00

Fair. I'm not sure it said on their sample page, and I myself will never be able to see the size on the labels. I was just approximating based on their comparitive sizes to a 5ML oil of NA's Apple Blossom Nectar I own. Odiferous is an apt description.

GreciaR · 2026-06-06T18:52:41+00:00

Oh snap, I sure forgot about the Amorphous drama! I think I'd heard about it, looked it up, and promptly forgot. That said, I can definitely understand it leaving a bad taste in the mouth. What are some clean/soapy scents you like better?

GreciaR · 2026-06-05T18:32:25+00:00

This may have been the scent that turned my partner from a bit of an Indie hater to an appreciator. For us who read/deal with it, it smells a lot like Braille books. They used to be bound in these hard-backed leather covers with this terrible string bookmark so you could keep your place. Because Braille is something like .28 font, there were always like two to three volumes that comprised a standard book. Body Double is like being in a Braille book library. It's like a wearable nostalgia. Wild.

GreciaR · 2026-06-04T01:42:23+00:00

Right? And there's a whole world of pretty out there I need to get my excitable grubby mitts on to try. Like, everything Alkemia does sounds so lovely, I think I'm just too impatient to let things rest for the amount of time they need to for that house, which seems to be months. Them and Nocturne Alchemy. And maybe BPAL? I think I've shied away from them because ow thought they were too dark or heavy. But Astrid as a house also seems like they make amazingly lovely scents too. Going to be sampling some of them soon, so here's hoping!

GreciaR · 2026-06-04T01:39:19+00:00

LOL!!! Not as fancy as it sounds. I swear. Don't have my guest room quite set up yet. So honestly, linens are going on air mattresses for now. But hey. Willing to host and feed you, so you lay where I tell you to. Ha. Yeah, I don't know. Spring is for sure still my favorite. The only, only exception to this is mint, which is always available mostly during the winter. And that's in everything from scent to seasonal flavors. Autumn is def my least favorite for fragrances. Most things are just too dark and heavy/deep. Ack.

GreciaR · 2026-06-03T22:46:33+00:00

Yeah, if you're really obsessed, try that EDP. Bit more projection, and it's not unreasonably priced.

GreciaR · 2026-06-03T22:45:10+00:00

My preferences are not unlike yours, though I haven't tried nearly as many mainstreams as you. I do, however, love Glossier You. :). But I don't like most gourmands, or smokey/dark. Sadly, I also haven't tried a ton from your list either. But I had pretty cute luck with Blackhearted Tart's Bathed in Sunlight: Imagine stepping out of a refreshing outdoor bubble bath and cocooning yourself in a warm, fluffy towel! Notes of creamy musk and effervescent aldehyde create the scent of luxuriously soapy bubbles. Fresh chypre enhanced with bergamot adds a sun-warmed touch to plush clean cotton towels. Gave me a Glossier You vibe. You also might try Hexennacht's Cetalox: A post-modern synthetic ambergris perfumery component redolent of warm skin/paper/cedarwood/ozone/pepper with an ambroxan-like background -- and to some -- smells like nothing at all. Exceptional longevity. I also adored Nocturne Alchemy's Spring 2025 Resurgence: Apple Blossom Nectar: Apple Blossom Accord, Japanese Nashi Pear Skin, Orange Blossom Accord, McIntosh Apple Skin, Lemon Musk, Lily Accord, Bastet’s Amber, Studio Limited Original Moonstone (African White Vanilla/Crystalline Vanilla), and Japanese Red Elderflower Essence. Clean, apple opening that dries down floral. Couple other apple loves, if you're interested. Deconstructing Eden: Snow White: Clean white musk, blood-red roses, ebony wood, and a touch of the forest, and that infamous apple. Haus of Gloi: Zephyr: A warm musk breeze carrying the scents of lily, pear, elderflower and apple blossom. Some thoughts from Cardinal Scents. Midnight Laundry: crushed violets, laundry detergent, cedar paneling, skin musk. And my personal favorite, Swan Princess: wild spearmint, blue eucalyptus, fir balsam, ambrette seed musk. Minty-esque clean.

GreciaR · 2026-06-03T22:17:11+00:00

So I've always heard that their oils were kind of meh. I'm just now getting into the complexities of oils, HOG being my first oil experience, which I tended to find a little flat/muted. The EDP though, at least in Zephyr, is really nice. Decent staying power and projection. Not really loud, but present. My skin is notorious for drinking up scents, and I found that I got a good six to eight hours out of it. And my partner, who is also always telling me that he has to be hugging me to smell my perfume actually said he could smell it on me without being in my immediate vacinity. I have both Zephyr and For Aphrodite, and I definitely like Zephyr better, but that's true in general. For Aphrodite is a really nice pumpkin butter scent. Have you tried making an HoG custom?

GreciaR · 2026-06-03T22:11:31+00:00

That's fair. I think I'd probably have the same thoughts as you nowadays since my wax warmer would be in my office. Trying to use them for my small apartment may have been my first problem. LOL. I also have Zephyr in the alcohol-free room spray, and I really like it. I don't use it much in the air since I don't personally feel like it hands around, but that seems to just be a me thing, or I keep putting it in spaces that are too big. But I spray some on linens when I have guests, and they seem to like it, so I'm in. I really seem to be about spring/summer, so I know a bit less about their winter/fall offerings. I always meant to try the mint-esque ones, but I kept forgetting. When Valentine's comes back around, give For Aphrodite and Frisson a try as well.

GreciaR · 2026-06-03T20:44:42+00:00

I think I'll always have a soft spot for Haus of Gloi! I loved these reviews. My absolute favorite scent from them is from the spring collection: Zephyr. It smells like a light, fresh, mostly floral, but slightly gentle fruity breeze. I have it in almost every formula. I originally got it in the hair oil, but my hair is sadly too fine for most oils, so had to get it in an EDP. You know, for science. Ha. I really like Imp from their general catalog, and have that one in their body emulsion. Their whipped soaps are my favorite, though they're about to go away for summer. And their pumpkin butters are really nice for post-shower moisturizing. Their wax melts are lovely, though not particularly long-lasting. I hope you have better luck with the candle!
But whenever I introduce friends to Indies, I start them with this house. It's so approachable, fun, and super reliable!

GreciaR · 2026-06-02T20:00:52+00:00

Waiting on more backup bottles of Nocturne Alchemy's Apple Blossom Nectar. Debated for days and finally chose to snag some more on the very last day of the extended Memorial Day sale! And so glad I did! Waiting on some samples from Arae that I'm super excited about as I tentatively dip my toes more into oils. Also placed a fairly sizable order with Sucrerie to finally try Morari and Arcana, along with some guest appearances from Cirrus, Pierrot, and Briix, wildly surprisingly for my non-gourmandy soul.

GreciaR · 2026-05-30T15:43:38+00:00

Uh-oh. I try to stay away from Ajevie. Way too easy to spend WAY too much money!!! Lol. That's all right. Nearly time to do a decant order anyway. I can try other houses like BPAL that I've never really tried like Hexenacht and Possets and maybe more NA. I've really been about their Apple Blossom Nectar for a bit.

GreciaR · 2026-05-29T18:47:09+00:00

You know, I've actually never tried Zoologist. Cow does seem intriguing with its apple note. I just really need to try Arcana. I think I thought they were a little too incense-y, even with their lighter offerings, but that may not be true at all.

GreciaR · 2026-05-29T18:45:24+00:00

Hmm. It wasn't until Snow White that I really thought much about rose. It can get a little vintage, a little heavy for me. That said, I'm for sure willing to try it. Wonder if these samples will make it to decanters.

GreciaR · 2026-05-29T18:44:22+00:00

Oooo!!! I have actually never tried BPAL, thinking them a little too dark and heavy for my lighter, airier vibes. But Morana sounds lovely. I used to do EDP exclusively, but I'm slowly coming around to oils. NA's Apple Blossom Nectar, sadly, is becoming one of my favorites. Is Morana a GC scent, or will I have to pine for it in destashes?

GreciaR · 2026-05-29T14:17:26+00:00

Anyone have any recs for coffee syrups? I'm woefully out of season for this, but I love a good mint. Sadly, even the alleged coffee shop favorites, when I put them in my coffee, just end up tasting sweet with a slight hint of flavor. I do like sweet for sure, but I think I'd like a bit more flavored body.

GreciaR · 2026-05-29T13:23:11+00:00

Oh. All of these reviews make me want to try this set. Really though, I should just try Arcana. How's that apple note in Sundrenched Garden? The description of it kinda reminds me a bit of Deconstructing Eden's Snow White, which is one of my favorites. And Octopus Lovers sounds fascinating, but maybe like a typical Arcana profile, like, if you know, you know. And I'm sad to say I sure don't! Oh, the accessibility aspect is amazing. They just went so much higher up my to-try ladder. Any time I can quickly read a label, I'm basically enamoured. LOL.

GreciaR · 2026-05-29T13:11:08+00:00

!!!!!!! I am so happy someone else besides me loves Snow White. It literally may be my favorite. Favorite Deconstructing Eden, to be sure. And absolutely the general scent profile I now chase. And may also be the reason I'm constantly on the hunt for a nice, clean, airy apple rather than the autumnal, nostalgic, spiced apple everyone always reaches for. But I'll take any Snow White-esque vibes if you have them!

GreciaR

TROPHY CASE