Cloud Illusions
Folkwinds (2022)

Cloud Illusions has a strange opening. Yes, there are blueberries, but the bubblegum note almost smells like ambergris bubblegum if there were such a thing. I really like this...it's unusual, but in such an interesting way. My favorite of the three Folkwinds main line fragrances. I agree with Thedad that the drydown is very nice. Two thumbs up from me for Cloud Illusions. I would definitely sample it to make sure it's for you, but I like it...it is for me. Thumbs up.

Dense, natural, and unusual.

I wouldn't have named mint in this without seeing it listed here and I'm still not sure I can pick it out directly - or at the very least, this wouldn't first come to mind if I were thinking of mint-centric fragrances. While it definitely has a fresh, menthol-ish "bite" to the overall composition, on me, the cypress sings the loudest, providing the leading vocal that all the other notes follow.

If anything it gives me the impression of a clear, sunny, morning in a pine forest - the scent of the woods around you, the snow melting, the plants slowly yawning their way back to life. It's chilly, but not cold, and there's that touch of (very natural) blueberry buried within that keeps the whole thing from veering too far into a woody/aromatic direction.

As time goes on, the mint burns off, the day warms up, and the iris ends up unfurling.

Mountains keep getting mentioned in other reviews and I agree with that reference point - it'd be fantastic to wear while hiking. Not the kind of thing I'd personally wear, but I can absolutely see it that it'd have an audience.

The name of this perfume says it all. I’d probably could guess that clouds smell like this :D very blue, wee aldehydic with some fruity blueberrish background. Some alternative for spring and summer and definitely an alternative to smell unique during warm days.

On the contrary to Santi Ana, Cloud Illusions was very difficult to imagine before smelling. This is the most unique of the trio and I respect it for doing this ethereal, wispy, illusory type of scent in a very singular, unique way. I get a lot of mildly chalky sweetness, some juicy naturalistic blueberry, and in contrast to Santi Ana’s judicious use of the note, lots of mint. The far drydown is a really wonderful musky iris with what I swore was patchouli but which was probably the Cypress or just a facet of the musk.

The combined effect is so nice, but I felt like I was wearing someone else’s scent throughout my wearings. I must admit on initial sampling it’s probably my least favorite of the 3, but I do feel it has more to reveal with more wearings.

Cloud Illusions by opens with a sweetened blueberry note mixed with some cypress. I also detect a slightly waxy iris here as well. The blueberry for me is hit and miss. I like the smell initially though it is a little sweet for my taste but then something mixes in with the blueberry that I don't like. It could be something in the accord, probably the bubble gum, that smells a little artifical for my taste. I think many people will enjoy this opening, my daughter loved it, it just is too sweet for me. I did smell a wonderful nutty scent in the air at the top that goes away rather quickly. After about 30 minutes the blueberry dies down on me and the the cypress takes over. The orris butter also comes into play more by making the scent creamier and smoothing things out. The orris used here is spectacular and really enhances the fragrance. About an hour and a half in and the fragrance hits the sweet spot for me and now smells very very good. There is some musk coming in the base swirling around the orris and sandlewood. The musk here and/or maybe some of its components smell like the same type of musk used in Gather's Soft Animal which I believe was muskrat. The dry down is my favorite part of this fragrance with the musky sandlewood combo that really works well on me.

What I really enjoy about this one is it makes me think of the mountains or forests of North America when. The musk in the dry down really brings the image of a chilly forest with mountains in the background. Wonderfully different scent!