arcana queen crossbones

The adventurous scents of a pirate queen's far-flung travels: creamy Egyptian musk, wild honey, sweet coconut and exotic resins. Because a bad attitude and a stolen galleon will get you everywhere!

In the imp, Queen Crossbones is all musk and honey. It's slightly sweet and a bit sharp. On skin the sharpness fades and the coconut comes out a bit more, though I'd still say it's mostly musk and honey. The resins sort of mix together with the musk for me, but I think they're the source of the sharpness I was getting from the cold sniff. It's less pronounced on skin but I do still smell it. There's also a slight powderiness that I would assume comes from the Egyptian musk.

The honey in this is classic Arcana - they do honey so well, and it's always rich and golden without being cloyingly sweet. The honey does take center stage in this blend, with an added touch of creamy sweetness coming from the coconut, but I wouldn't really call it a sweet scent. The musk and resins provide a lot of depth, and it really does feel a bit exotic, like something Cleopatra would wear.

The lasting power on this one is pretty great as well - it was still very present after 8 hours.

Would I buy it again? Possibly. I really like it quite a lot more than I thought I would, since musky, resin-heavy scents tend to be a bit much for me, but the honey in this puts it solidly into the camp of something I would actually wear. Even so, I'm not sure I need a full bottle of it - maybe if I ever finish my sample.

Available from: Wherever Arcana oils are sold - Magical Omaha and The Soap Box Co among other places, or you can order direct from Julia using the contact info at Arcana Soaps.