Solstice
Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements (2015)

The opening of Solstice is woody, in the vein of something like Creed’s Royal Oud, but without the sweetness. There is also something obviously coniferous here; it smells to me like arborvitae leaves and not the distinctly woody smell of cedar ships or a cedar box. I get no rose whatsoever.

As the fragrance proceeds to the mid notes, the sage becomes more prominent and the cedar muted, but that’s about the extent of the development. The drydown reminds me a bit of SJP Stash, but dialed way down and made a bit more masculine.

Sillage is low; others will only notice this on you immediately after application. As with most PAA aftershave/colognes, I don’t have any problems with longevity; it lasts the workday when I apply it to my chest. It’s not likely to get one noticed, however.

Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements says that Solstice was inspired by the Arizona desert and, in an accompanying video on their sales page, the perfumer notes how many of the ingredients are used in traditional ceremonies (sage, sweet grass, etc.). While I don’t have experience with either the desert southwest nor the ritualistic use of plants, I can’t say Solstice evokes that kind of imagery to me. It reminds me more of portaging in the boundary waters.

Solstice smells fine, but it’s not the kind of thing I’d go out of my way to experience, nor recommend.

Neutral.

Unconventional. Pleasing. A sweet breath of the weedy Southwest. This is not like anything you will smell at a fragrance counter. It's natural. The use of resins here is the real story. Not very apparent when first applied, but when the nose has time to settle in and get the nuances, you will get green grass, pine needle in the middle of white clouds of chalky sweet peppermint and the inference is one of 'cool' temperature in the scent. It has medicinal tones in it. So, the whole motif given by PAA's website description of ritual/ceremonial scent tones is fairly accurate for me here.

This is not just some silly scent. It is, for lack of a better description...."niche" but also pleasing. If this were bottled and sold by Clive Christian or Creed or Armani Prive, etc, I think it would get seriously good reviews, especially because nothing else on the counters smells like it......But.....it's from a small, wet-shaving company with sci-fi comicbook art......and, frankly, this originality is refreshing. For a brand that clearly is having fun and not trying to take itself too seriously, they have, IMO, some serious fragrances worth your attention.

I suggest allowing this brand to be what it is and that you like it for what it is. I have made a mistake in my own head of trying to put PAA in a box of a stuffy classic perfume brand that should have serious bottles and puffed chests of elegance. But that betrays the brand and its true charm. Instead of crystal chandeliers and tuxedos, it's some mustached, salt of the Earth, comical personality with a big imagination and every-man look who has a nose much more talented than anyone would assume. He's also got a fragrance savvy but more reserved partner who contributes some solid scents of her own.

Solstice is an underrated scent. Sweet, rich, potent with a heart of ancient ritualistic magic.