Dyscalculia is such a wide spectrum and I find it interesting to see how much everyone's experiences vary!

My biggest issues are primarily mental math and just being able to correctly interpret numbers. Even though I have a very vivid imagination I just can't get them to stick around properly in my head. And I tend to misread numbers and mix them up a lot. And don't talk to me about tipping cause I either give too much or too little on accident!!

I don't struggle with directions as much, but I have a hard time gauging distances based off of numbers. Like if something is supposed to be 30 ft away its hard for me to figure out how much 30 ft is. But on the other hand, I can navigate really well based off of random visual landmarks, its kind of a superpower at this point 😭

And I think my grasp on language is decent, when I took the ACT in high school I actually maxxed out the english and "science" (basically just reading comprehension) sections but my math score brought my overall score down. And I've been learning Russian on and off and I've picked it up fairly fast, I love learning languages!

I had my eye on Alkemia fragrances for a while, I really liked the variety they offer and the pricing is pretty reasonable, so I decided to order a custom set of samples and give them a shot!

Just for a bit of context, I'm fairly new to fragrances in general because I was nose blind from Covid for quite a while, but its become a new hobby of mine and this is the first time I'm doing a review :)

I prefer earthy, spicy, and woody fragrances in general so I am biased towards those, but I tried to pick a wide range of samples!

Aelfscyne - 8/10

I find this to be a gorgeous, green scent, it makes me feel like a wood elf! It smells very fresh and light to me, so it's perfect for a hot summer or spring day. On my skin it's unmistakably floral, but in a way that feels very natural rather than perfumey. I was kind of expecting more woodiness from this one but it's more floral and leafy, it kind of smells like honeysuckle and green tea as it continues to dry down.

I love feeling like a Bosmer so I adore this fragrance, if I could pick up on the cashmeran more it would definitely be a 10/10

As Dark Things Are Meant To Be Loved - 4/10

This one's pretty popular so I had high expectations for it, but unfortunately it's not my type. I was hoping that the coffee, lapsang souchong, and the overall smokiness of the fragrance would be more prominent, but it just smells very sweet to me. I'm not a big gourmand girlie and the coconut, caramel, and vanilla smell is too strong for me and kind of made me a little nauseous. I'm going to let this one sit for some more time and maybe my opinion will change.

However if you love gourmand scents, and you're looking for a sugary fragrance that also has a darker vibe, you might really like this one. It made me think of a caramel addicted witch 🧙

Enchantee - 10/10 ⭐️

This one is a pleasant smell, it's kind of similar to Aelfscyne but is noticeably less floral. I can pick up on the sandalwood note here and I like it a lot! Both fragrances are green and fresh smelling, but it feels like they embody different aspects of nature. Aelfscyne makes you feel like a wood elf living in the forest tending to a beautiful garden, while Enchantee feels like walking along a mossy path with a winding stream next to it. The moss and tea notes are noticeable here and very beautiful.

If I had to pick something Enchantee reminds me of, it would be the Portland Japanese Garden. It feels like a quiet and subtle beauty, very wearable and refreshing.

Persian Tea Room - 9/10

As a tea lover I had to try this one! The first thing I noticed is the cinnamon is very prominent in the opening, which I had mixed feelings towards. The other notes become more noticeable quickly, and it starts smelling like a warm cup of chai. My family is from India and I find the chai-ness of this fragrance pretty authentic and it brings up nostalgic memories.

The description mentions "dry desert sand" and I was wondering how on earth you could capture that in a perfume oil but somehow, this one does. I love how vivid this fragrance feels, to me it smells like old depictions of India as an exotic, mysterious place and it makes me feel like a baddie. The only reason it's not a 10/10 is because of the cinnamon opening because it reminds me of starbucks chai (which I'm not too fond of) but the rest of it is amazing!!!!

Hell Courtesan - 10/10⭐️

I didn't know what to expect from this one cause I couldn't find too many reviews on it, but the description drew me in. Florals can be hit or miss for me so I was keeping my expectations lower but this one was unexpectedly gorgeous!

The florals here are rich and deep, they really do smell like nighttime flowers. I was wondering what the brimstone note here would be like, and it manifests itself as a subtle touch of smokiness in the background. Somehow the smoke mixes beautifully with the flowers and makes this fragrance smell so mysterious and classy.

The imagery it brings to mind is a field of red spider lilies under a starry sky. "Hell Courtesan" is a damn good name for it, it really feels like a rich demon lady.

Bonus samples!

Uncharted: 8/10
This one leans more towards the masculine side of unisex, but I feel like women can definitely pull it off! If anyone here is familiar with the Uncharted series of video games, I think if the first game had a smell it would be this one.
It smells woody and a bit smoky, but has a touch of sweetness to it that reminds me of coconut.
It brings some very specific memories to mind, like the wooden stuff my mom used to check out at Pier 1 imports.
it's a pleasant smell and I feel like you can wear it year round, the smokiness makes it nice for fall and winter but it's light enough to not feel cloying in the summer.

Paradise: 6.5/10

This feels like Uncharted's more traditionally "feminine" counterpart, it's more sweet smelling for sure. While the coconut in Uncharted was more subtle, in Paradise it feels like the main event, which is why I found it less appealing. I'm not a coconut hater but when there's too much of it it reminds me of my mom slathering coconut oil on my head when I was a kid, which I have mixed feelings about 😔 The vanilla in this is very pretty though, and if you like soft, summery scents it's pretty great! One thing I really liked about this one is how airy it feels despite being sweet, it doesn't feel like it would give me a migraine and it's definitely wearable in the humid summers where I live. I'm gonna give it another chance, maybe it'll grow on me.