Stereoplasm: Holly Jolly Misfits (Hermey Doesn't Like to Make Toys)

It's that time of year again! Admittedly, I'm not the best at keeping track of time (which, is a social construct), but this year has had held a certain amount of festive cheer for me. 

Stereoplasm first released this collection back in 2019 - and as part of my Black Friday order, I had a little sample of the collection tucked into the package. Officially, this is called 'Holly Jolly Misfits Part 1: Hermey Doesn't Like to Make Toys', although, to my knowledge, I've never seen a part 2. This collection in inspired by Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, a movie released in 1964, with the names inspired by the movie. 

Additional note: I made this purcahse back in 2019, before Stereoplasm's formula change (increased concentration of scents), so I did experience slightly less projection and a shorter wear time than their new formula (but if you are purchasing from the website, this will be the increased concentration). 

Yukon Cornelius: Elderflower bark, gum juniper, blue glacier, quaking aspen and flannel musk.

This is like, the fancy upscale sweet scent of a hotel, and the perfume department store. Stereoplasm every so often just drops these scents that smell just like mainstream perfumes, and this is one of them - it has the sweetness of a handful of full bodied florals, a touch of tonka, the grounded woody base with a twizzle of musk stuck into the mix, mellowing out to a faint, sweet feminine blend of something or other on a paper strip from a salesperson at the mall. That said - this is exactly the type of scent I'd associate with the Christmas dinners I grew up with, lots of lovely fancy dresses, the spritz of high end perfume, bathrooms heavy with the scent of expensive diffusers, dim lights and marble countertops. Although I can't see myself wearing this scent, it's worth it for the nostalgia alone. 

Winter Warlock: Astro red poinsettia, whispering wind, twisted candy cane and melting vanilla ice cream

Despite the sweet sounding notes, this is actually a very tame scent - the opening is a soft, green floral note, with an almost soapy quality to it. Underneath it, there's a slight bite of peppermint from the candy cane, but it's complimented by a touch of sweet vanilla cream. There's also a smidge of 'ozonic' wind to this scent, and on my skin, it mellows out to a tame sweet vanilla soap. This is probably the most faint and demure scent of the group. 

King Moonracer: Oceanic musk, cool night air, sea salt, pu-erh tea and night-blooming jasmine.

This is a super pretty scent - the sweetness of the jasmine is the forefront of this blend, but it's complimented with that dark, bitter tannic edge of pu-erh tea - a blend which is so tea heavy and I absolutely love it. The sea salt and night air are more like afterthoughts to just give the scent some depth, and the oceanic musk gives just that intriguing edge of aquatic. After dry down on my skin, this fades into a slightly salty aquatic scent, sweetened with the jasmine. For me, this feels like an oddly meditative scent, something that wouldn't be out of place at a spa, or a self-care retreat at a beach. I didn't expect to like this scent because I'm usually so averse to musk, but the opening blend of white florals and tea are fantastic. 

Disclaimer: I was not sponsored for this review or an affiliate with this brand, and all opinions are my own, and do not reflect any brand's opinions or interests. Products mentioned in this post were sent as a GWP with a previous purchase.