Solstice Lace

[brineydeep]

Bonfire smoke staining vanilla cream lace, a touch of cognac, sweet tobacco, St. Johns Wort, and apple wine, with the suns bright amber and copal setting the horizon aflame.

Caveat: this is fresh from the mailbox.

I'm digging this Lace. It's a sweet blend of BPAL's Lace note with floral from the St John's Wort and a hint of apple. I was worried it would be too autumnal but it's more harvest fresh than harvest spice. The sweetness is underlied by the copal hanging out under the surface.

This is not a heavy Lace. Rather it's an apple-sweet Lace without actually being an apple blend. It's like a rich/fresh/sweet apple cider for your skin.

This will be fabulous to wear from the heat of the summer through early fall. I'm glad it's part of my collection.

[wendyb1063]

On me, this is a slightly floral, slightly apple-ey, slightly incense-ey blend grounded by the lace base. The apple is not that strong, but blends in nicely with the other notes.

 

I get no bonfire smoke at all, but maybe that will change after it rests a bit. I do get a warm, summery, pastoral vibe though.

 

It's fairly potent in terms of throw; the longevity seems pretty good too (I could still smell traces of it on my wrist when I woke up after putting it on at bedtime).

 

I really, really like this. If you like most of the other Laces, you will likely like this.

[archaesophilia]

As I first opened this, SO walked by and commented that this is what all those candle stores WISHED they smelled like! I think it was the apple that was coming through super strongly at first that prompted it, but he's not wrong. There's a lot going on in the bottle; apples, smoke, incense, something spicy, and vanilla under it all. On first application, it's all about the apple with a cognac bite. Just dry, the incense and smoke come out. After about an hour it settles into a beautiful smokey vanilla. Not a ton of throw, but like other laces it lasts all day. I think I may need a back up of this one...

[Lunasariel]

In the imp: Apple-y booze, but in the best way possible. These apples are sweet, ripe, and juicy, and the alcohol is the *really* good stuff that evaporates in your sinuses. I'm also getting hints of my old friend amber and something softly, subtly smoky - I can't tell whether it's the "bonfire smoke" or the tobacco. If there is vanilla at this stage, it's blending wonderfully with the apples.

 

Wet: An... unpromising opening. I was a bit worried about the cognac and "wine" half of "apple wine," since boozy notes that aren't dark and sugary (i.e. rum, bourbon, etc.) tend to go sharp and sour on my skin, which is what this one is doing. I'm still getting fruit, but sour, fermented fruit - maybe even pear or something instead of apple. It still smells strongly alcoholic, and almost effervescent to boot - it reminds me of a fizzy drink that I tried once and didn't much like, the name of which escapes me at the moment.

 

Dry: And the day is saved! There's still a fruity effervescent thing going on, but it's at least equal with a soft, elegant, cream-white vanilla that's especially noticeable when sniffed from afar. An herbal, aromatic edge comes out over time, as does a resinous base that goes so golden and glorious on my skin, it must be amber. And last but not least: this must be the lace note that everybody is talking about! This is my first experience with any of the Laces, and oh boy is it lovely. Clean, airy, and slightly vanillic.

 

Overall, I get the feeling of walking through an apple orchard on a summer evening wearing a lacy, breezy white dress. The fruit is full and ripe, and there are aromatic grasses under my feet.

 

Keep in mind, this has had less than a day to settle since it arrived. I'll let it sit for a few days, re-test, and then come back with any changes I notice. Here's hoping that unfortunate opening will fade, and it'll be drop-dead gorgeous from start to finish!

[SJanet]

My first impression: it's a beautiful Fall scent! The tobacco and apple are the notes that first hit. But it's not a typical apple scent, in that it doesn't fall into the apple-cinnamon candle territory. It's very rich! It isn't a light scent, in the way that Antique Lace is. It is more robust and rich. The tobacco note is sweet, and full, but not candy-like the way Bulgarian Tobacco is. It's a bit more like the tobacco in Perversion with the vanilla lace taming it a bit. This scent is very complex and hard to describe. But it's soooo good! I knew this scent would be a win!

[rayvn1]

Yummy, sweet, boozy apple with a hint of smoke. This has little to no throw, and I'm hoping it acquires some with age, because it is gorgeous in the bottle and while wet. It lasts about an hour on my skin, but it's very pleasant while it hangs around!

[dementia_divine]

In the bottle: The apple wine is the most prominent note. I get the distinct 'lace scent' with the tobacco, cognac, and vanilla, with the resins and smoke in the background.

 

Wet: The smoke, tobacco, and resins are stronger on me than they were in the bottle. I am getting a lot of the apple wine, but not as much as I did in the bottle.

 

After a few minutes, the apple wine has gotten stronger and overtaken the other notes, both on my wrists and in the crooks of my elbows. It is very sweet and almost candy-like, but boozy. I typically adore apple scents, but this apple wine note may be too candy-sweet for me.

 

Dry: It takes a while for the apple wine to calm down, but when it does, it's a lovely scent. The vanilla really shines through on my wrists after a couple of hours, and it's definitely recognizable as one of the Lab's lace scents during this phase. I am getting more of the vanilla on my wrists, and more of the apple wine and smoke in the crooks of my elbows.

 

Verdict: The dry phase of the scent on my wrists warrants keeping this bottle, although there is a point during the wet phase where the apple wine veers into too sweet territory for me. I am curious to see how this one ages!

Edited July 9, 2017 by dementia_divine

[Mjanefh]

I just got this scent last week. I adore it! I know it's a summer release but it reminds me of when summer turns into fall. It's still warm out but the colors are changing. When i sniff the bottle it truly makes me smile. I can smell hints of all the notes accounted and it's blended so well!

The apple fades quick on me. Eventually, the warm vanilla, tobacco, cognac is left more prominent and carries on for hours. Such a welcomed scent to have on my skin considering how hot and dry SLC has been!

P.S. I just joined this forum and this is my very first post!!

[zankoku_zen]

Apple booze, tobacco, amber, and a touch of copal. Huh, I am really sort of enjoying Solstice Lace. Like alot. Good throw and wear length.

[Minh Scent]

Opening notes of boozy apple, but soon tobacco comes forward- strong, beautiful BPAL tobacco sweetened slightly with vanilla. It reminds ne of high quality apple tobacco. Wears quite long. Love!!!

[ltrittipoe]

I love the "lace" blends, and the magic that is prominent in the other laces is here. A little bit smokey, a little bit of tobacco in the background.... but the dry down for this lace is tea. Beautiful, smokey tea with the lace background.

 

It's really gorgeous.

[milo]

The smoke scared me away from a full bottle, as I generally love (or at least like) the Laces. Right off, the beautiful incense lace feel about it, along with apple. I usually not an apple fan, but here it is quite nice, and adds a freshness to the blend. Apple fades, and we're left with a smoky incense, lace blend. I really like this, and may seek out more. This one is strong, and a little goes a long way, just a dab will do you.

[Dark Alice]

This smells like apple wine sipped on a cool fall night (my brain smells fall air!!) It is amazing!!! Looking forward to using this in October and November!

[roseus]

I too was afraid of the smoke in the description but luckily the reviews swayed me! Initially the apple wine read more like apple candy. But dry I get the sweet vanilla lace distinctly with a more subdued apple wine made deeper by sweet tobacco and amber, with a touch of smoke. A delicious early fall scent with great wear length and throw!

[LizziesLuck]

I love quite a few of the Laces, but not all of them. I am also wary of the apple, but still very excited to try this!

 

Wet: Quite a bit of apple, but it's OK so far, doesn't smell artificial or like a candle. Under the apple is the familiar scent the laces all seem to share - vanilla, tobacco and an ineffable quality that makes them really special. The smoky aspect is gorgeous. This is going to ago so well! An autumnal scent, for sure. I think the fact that it's "apple wine" rather than just apple is really making this work on my skin. It's really pretty.

 

Dry: Smoky, sweet, a tiny bit incensey, "lacy" tobacco. I really like it, and I think with some age I will LOVE it.

[Lunameth]

This is a beautiful fall scent, it reminds me of Bonfire Night and Devil's Night, because on me the incense, bonfire, and tobacco all amp, and it's all rounded off with the beautiful vanilla lace and hint of apple sweetness. Too good! I'm hoping the apple comes out more with rest and age, but honestly it's lovely as it is so I would be happy just layering it with another apple scent

[virginstitch]

I get apple-y smoky vanilla from this with just a hint of something floral. Totally a win for me.

[LiberAmoris]

I threw a bottle of Solstice Lace in with my Krampus Lace order, and I'm so glad I did—this is gorgeous. Everything here is so well balanced. The bonfire smoke and lightly tangy apple wine are present but really subtle. The 'vanilla cream lace' and amber and copal are divine together. The cognac, tobacco, and St. John's Wort bring an herbal depth. All together, this reminds me a bit of Mabon (2004). It has that same apple-y, fall-ish vibe, although the 'lace' here pushes this in a more gourmand direction rather than earthy. Such a beautiful blend!

[Cassandra Dudum]

Super masculine smelling on my skin. Reminds me of an aftershave mixed with a lit tobacco candle. The apple was very strong when wet, however after drying down I get no apple. I get cigar tobacco and a sweet vanilla smoke.

[suki]

Unfortunately, tobacco and cognac sometimes do terrible things in combination with my skin chemistry and this appears to be one of those times. The tobacco comes across as sharp, the cognac as cloying and the two amp with ridiculous throw (seriously, I put on a drop from the lid and I can smell is , wafting toward me, at two feet away. )

I know that Lace scents in particular sometimes need additional time to settle and age before turing into something wearable for me, so I'll sit on this for a few months and see what pans out by the Summer Solstice. Hopefully the Solstices will come into alignment by then

[Casablanca]

When just applied, Solstice is an intoxicating mix: slightly smoky apple wine with creamy vanilla amber. The wine isn't super boozy, but it is sweet and appley. The tobacco starts light, just a hint of a warm, chewy leaf. It grows to a stronger note in the proportions of the blend, but the whole thing goes very soft overall on me as soon as the initial burst of apple wine fades.

Too soft, actually. Before an hour has passed, it's barely there. What is there is mostly warm tobacco, with a bit of vanilla apple. I'm glad I don't find copal, because I never seem to like it as much as I want to.

Lovely. Sophisticated. Disappointingly brief.