Madame Scodioli is Riley Fouts's Kansas-based perfumery. According to their website, their unscented products (tattoo aftercare, lip balm, etc.) are natural, but their scented products contain some synthetic fragrance oils. With the exception of the beeswax-based items (solid scents, tattoo aftercare, lip balm), Madame Scodioli is vegan! They're also cruelty-free. No animal testing here!
Their site explains that the brand draws inspiration from "gypsies, traveling carnivals, and restless spirits of all kinds." As far as the packaging goes, I feel that this is true. Madame Scodioli indeed occupies a special packaging niche on the indie market. Madame Scodioli operates under the guise of a traveling gypsy circus, led by the enigmatic Madame Scodioli (Riley Fouts). I was intrigued by the Madame's gypsy-bohemian aesthetic, and I was even more curious about her scented balms. One thing led to another, and I purchased Elyria ($16 USD), and a set of wee samples ($20 USD) consisting of Oracle, Step Right Up, Fortunato, and Cloven.
E L Y R I A (1.0 oz solid scent.)
"Smoky black tea with a healthy dose of bergamot and finished with just a touch of lavender. Mysterious and a bit haunting, just like the songs of our lovely little mandolin player, Elyria." - MADAME SCODIOLI scent description.
i. In Container: Black tea. Straight-up.
ii. On Skin: Warm. The bergamot delicately balances the black tea and lavender. Elyria is a quiet, comforting, and inviting fragrance. It's one of the Madame's more uncomplicated perfumes, and doesn't evolve over time.
iii. Notes: Black tea, bergamot, lavender.
iv. Sillage: Strong. 5+ hours.
v. Bottom Line: A relaxing, floral musk. Feminine. I often reach for it as daytime wear. Very safe for gifting. It's one of those "yes your niece/aunt/mom/sister would enjoy having this" scents.
vi. Personal Rating: 8/10
ii. On Skin: Warm. The bergamot delicately balances the black tea and lavender. Elyria is a quiet, comforting, and inviting fragrance. It's one of the Madame's more uncomplicated perfumes, and doesn't evolve over time.
iii. Notes: Black tea, bergamot, lavender.
iv. Sillage: Strong. 5+ hours.
v. Bottom Line: A relaxing, floral musk. Feminine. I often reach for it as daytime wear. Very safe for gifting. It's one of those "yes your niece/aunt/mom/sister would enjoy having this" scents.
vi. Personal Rating: 8/10
• • •
O R A C L E (wee solid sample.)
"Curious, are you? Oh don't be nervous, just come right in and make yourself comfortable. Our drabardi will be with you shortly. She possesses all of the answers you seek. Love, health, fortune - she sees all. She reads the cards for our whole troupe, you know. Madame won't make a single move without consulting her! That's a fact, friend. Oracle is lush fig blended with sultry Middle Eastern spices and a bit of musk. The troupe's drabardi is particularly fond of the blend, hence the name. Highly recommended for lovers of our Gypsy Caravan scent." - MADAME SCODIOLI scent description.
i. In Container: Medicinal herbal and fig.
ii. On Skin: Reminds me of LUSH's fig-based soaps, which is great--because LUSH almost never makes fig-based perfumes. Thank you, Madame, for making the world a better place, one fig perfume at a time. I'm not getting much musk at all, which is unusual, since musky perfumes tend to grow stronger on my skin. The spice starts becoming more present after ten to fifteen minutes.
iii. Notes: Fig, spices, musk.
iv. Sillage: Fair. 3 hours.
v. Bottom Line: Clean, uplifting, fruity, and feminine. If you're a fan of fig, Oracle might just be your jam. Assuming I ever run out of Elyria, I may purchase Oracle as a replacement.
vi. Personal Rating: 8.3/10
ii. On Skin: Reminds me of LUSH's fig-based soaps, which is great--because LUSH almost never makes fig-based perfumes. Thank you, Madame, for making the world a better place, one fig perfume at a time. I'm not getting much musk at all, which is unusual, since musky perfumes tend to grow stronger on my skin. The spice starts becoming more present after ten to fifteen minutes.
iii. Notes: Fig, spices, musk.
iv. Sillage: Fair. 3 hours.
v. Bottom Line: Clean, uplifting, fruity, and feminine. If you're a fan of fig, Oracle might just be your jam. Assuming I ever run out of Elyria, I may purchase Oracle as a replacement.
vi. Personal Rating: 8.3/10
• • •
S T E P R I G H T U P (wee solid sample.)
"Right this way, folks - don't be shy! Watch your step now, and behold this marvel of a fragrance, worthy of any strong man. (But quite appealing on the ladies, too!) This is an exotic blend of cedar, smoky patchouli and sandalwood, musky saffron and finished with a touch of vetyver." - MADAME SCODIOLI scent description.
i. In Container: Strong cedar and vetyver. It smells like the inside of World Market, honestly. I am absolutely sure this is the World Market smell.
ii. On Skin: Woody, yet sweet. Not cloyingly woody or sweet...just...woody and sweet. At first I didn't enjoy this scent that much, but it grew on me after a few hours. It's still the World Market aroma though. If you want to smell like bohemian interior decor, Step Right Up is your friend. It doesn't evolve much on my skin.
iii. Notes: Cedar, saffron, vetyver.
iv. Sillage: Fair. 3 hours.
v. Bottom Line: A lovely bohemian take on woody scents; it's not coarse nor lumberjack-y. I'd use Step Right Up as a room freshener any day. Unisex, but leaning towards masculine.
vi. Personal Rating: 8/10
ii. On Skin: Woody, yet sweet. Not cloyingly woody or sweet...just...woody and sweet. At first I didn't enjoy this scent that much, but it grew on me after a few hours. It's still the World Market aroma though. If you want to smell like bohemian interior decor, Step Right Up is your friend. It doesn't evolve much on my skin.
iii. Notes: Cedar, saffron, vetyver.
iv. Sillage: Fair. 3 hours.
v. Bottom Line: A lovely bohemian take on woody scents; it's not coarse nor lumberjack-y. I'd use Step Right Up as a room freshener any day. Unisex, but leaning towards masculine.
vi. Personal Rating: 8/10
• • •
C L O V E N (wee solid sample.)
"Woodsy, sexy and sophisticated - just the perfect scent for our troupe's own cloven footed lady, who glides so gracefully across stage before the captivated crowds. She's a showstopper, ladies and gents, and we think you'll feel the same about this wonderful scent." - MADAME SCODIOLI scent description.
i. In Container: Pretty much just vanilla.
ii. On Skin: Vanilla and wood notes. I was hoping to get "sexy and sophisticated" as Cloven's scent description claimed, but I kind of just got Bath and Bodyworks' take on vanilla and wood. There's a soapy sense to this one, but it might just be my skin chemistry.
iii. Notes: Amber, sandalwood, vanilla.
iv. Sillage: Fair. 3 hours.
v. Bottom Line: Not my favorite; I wasn't lucky with this one. Hopefully the sandalwood and amber work wonders on others' skin. Smells pretty standard for a vanilla + wood combination, but if you're a fan of vanilla--it's worth giving Cloven a shot.Unisex, but leaning towards feminine.
vi. Personal Rating: 6/10
ii. On Skin: Vanilla and wood notes. I was hoping to get "sexy and sophisticated" as Cloven's scent description claimed, but I kind of just got Bath and Bodyworks' take on vanilla and wood. There's a soapy sense to this one, but it might just be my skin chemistry.
iii. Notes: Amber, sandalwood, vanilla.
iv. Sillage: Fair. 3 hours.
v. Bottom Line: Not my favorite; I wasn't lucky with this one. Hopefully the sandalwood and amber work wonders on others' skin. Smells pretty standard for a vanilla + wood combination, but if you're a fan of vanilla--it's worth giving Cloven a shot.Unisex, but leaning towards feminine.
vi. Personal Rating: 6/10
• • •
F O R T U N A T O (wee solid sample.)
"A scent worthy of all great adventurers, Fortunato combines crisp pine with warm notes of whiskey and amber, the deep musk of frank and myrrh, and a hint of campfire smoke. Fortunato truly embodies the gypsy spirit." - MADAME SCODIOLI scent description.
i. In Container: There's definitely a darkness there, and lots and lots of whiskey. I'm detecting some pine. Gypsy spirit accomplished.
ii. On Skin: Oh this is nice. The whiskey's less overpowering on my skin, and the pine and smoke snake together. There's darkness and grit to this scent, but there's an underlying sensuality to this scent. Think succubi, night forest rituals, and the ghosts of paramours. Doesn't really evolve much over time, but I don't mind.
iii. Notes: Pine, smoke, whiskey.
iv. Sillage: Fair. 3 hours.
v. Bottom Line: Dark, mysterious, smoky, and sexy. Unisex, but leaning towards masculine. This is the most complex fragrance of the set I purchased. While I'm impressed by this scent, it's not one I'd associate myself with.
vi. Personal Rating: 8.5/10
ii. On Skin: Oh this is nice. The whiskey's less overpowering on my skin, and the pine and smoke snake together. There's darkness and grit to this scent, but there's an underlying sensuality to this scent. Think succubi, night forest rituals, and the ghosts of paramours. Doesn't really evolve much over time, but I don't mind.
iii. Notes: Pine, smoke, whiskey.
iv. Sillage: Fair. 3 hours.
v. Bottom Line: Dark, mysterious, smoky, and sexy. Unisex, but leaning towards masculine. This is the most complex fragrance of the set I purchased. While I'm impressed by this scent, it's not one I'd associate myself with.
vi. Personal Rating: 8.5/10
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| MADAME SCODIOLI BALM CONTAINERS. Both the tin and clamshell containers are easy to open and close. The full-sized tins have screw-on lids. |
BETHEMOTHS rating:
My rating on the brand overall...
Performance: 8.4/10. The scents are, for the most part, true to their descriptions. The Madame's scents aren't incredibly complex, but I can say with certainty that she has a scent for everyone. I'd definitely consider Madame Scodioli scented balms as gifts for friends and family.
Scent Complexity: 7.8/10. A bit on the minimalist end of the spectrum, but Fortunato (wow...) and Oracle were real hits. Please keep in mind that the Madame's fragrances don't tend to evolve much.
Packaging: 10/10. Madame Scodioli's packaging is so thoughtfully done. I love the mysterious, bohemian look and feel of this brand. The quality of the full-size tin is fantastic as well. The Madame's perfumes definitely stands out in my collection.
Product Quality: 10/10. The balms themselves were really easy to apply. They didn't require extra warming up.
Staying Power: 8/10. Most if not all of the scents I purchased stuck to my skin for about three hours. Elyria stuck for a whopping five to six hours.
Value: $
Customer Service: 10/10. Riley has always been the most helpful and accommodating bearded lady.
R A N K I N G
i. Fortunato ♛
ii. Oracle
iii. Elyria / Step Right Up
iv. Cloven
V E R D I C T
B+
I have mixed feelings about Madame Scodioli. The Madame's fragrances seem like they'd work better as soaps. The scented balms aren't "soapy," but they are rather minimalist, and didn't evolve much on my skin. Regardless, the Madame certainly has a fragrance for everyone. My personal favorites are Elyria and Oracle, and I can see myself returning to buy gifts for friends and family.
If you're interested in making a purchase from Madame Scodioli, you can do so at the Madame's website and etsy.
Have you tried out Madame Scodioli yet? What do you think?
DISCLAIMER: My thoughts and judgements are my own. I am not an affiliate to the seller in any way. All shown Madame Scodioli products were purchased by me for my own personal collection. I review products for the sole purpose of recommending products I enjoyed.
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