Cliffside Bonfire is an aquatic forest fragrance with a touch of petrichor and some warm woodsmoke. It is a dry, woody blend with a generous dose of sea spray, followed by light charred wood, embers and a bit of wood smoke. The dry woods and smoke are more apparent as the blend begins to dry down. On initial application, a woody, coniferous blast gives way to crashing waves with fat raindrops just on their heels. The main body of the perfume is a dry and woody blend with a generous dose of sea spray, a periphery of conifers followed by light charred wood, embers and a bit of wood smoke. The dry woods and smoke are more apparent as the blend morphs and moves into the dry down. The rain undulates back and forth as a top note, shifting in front of and then behind the saltwater, then again. It dissipates to make way for warm, dry woods, a toasty fire and an undertone of saltwater and pine. Ponderosa pine, sub-alpine fir, tamarack, swiss stone pine, spruce, Siberian fir and others are used alongside juniper wood, Port Orford cedar, blue cypress, seaweed, ambergris, oud, moss, fossilized amber, birch tar and more in this mixed media perfume. While there are several synthetics used in Cliffside Bonfire, the majority of the formula comes from natural materials. It features notes of conifers, dry woods, rain, saltwater, seaweed, ambergris (vegan), charred wood and smoke. Cliffside Bonfire is an eau de parfum, edp.
SOLSTICE SCENTS CLIFFSIDE BONFIRE REVIEWS
Fragrantica: Cliffside Bonfire is a woody, coniferous aquatic fragrance–and before you immediately tune out, let me assure you that this is not the sort of milquetoast, watery “aquatic” that you may remember from high school in the 90’s, though anecdotally, this does remind me of certain high school experiences. This is dry woods, sea spray-kissed skin, and the barest hint of pine and spruce; I don’t get very much smoke or fire or char from this at all. It vividly recalls for me sunset streaked summer evenings after spending from noon until nightfall at the beach with my freshman year-boyfriend. Skin too hot to the touch from sun and hormones, sand in our hair and on our tongues, salt-tinged kisses and the impatient, inexperienced fumbling at damp swimsuit strings..twenty five years later this perfume causes a sweet, clenching ache, low in my stomach (and a strange, sexy nostalgia for a dude that kind of turned out to be a turd.)
Fragrantica: This is standing right on a beach boardwalk, salt and water, wood and seaweed. Remnants of a bonfire nearby. Reminds me of Squid by Zoologist. I want to go to the ocean...
Fragrantica: I immediately loved this one when I got it a few months ago as I really love smokey fire scents. But now I find it works even better in the hotter months. Especially on a warm night. It does lean slightly more masculine in my opinion. To me it starts with a blast of salty ocean air or sea spray. Then wafts of a burning fire come through. Like burning juniper branches, which is somehow smokey and refreshing at the same time. There is also something like Australian blue cypress coming through which adds an incense vibe. The dry down lasts forever and reminds me of how I smell after swimming in the ocean for hours. That after a day at the beach then standing by a fire smell. Angela continues to amaze me with the way she can take an experience, replicate it then put it in a bottle for everyone!
Fragrantica: This is Kingston Ferry’s lighter, more well-rounded sister. I love them both. It’s absolutely an evergreen forest right on the ocean. The first thing I smell is thick, syrupy pine and fir balsams. Over time a wonderful, gentle sea accord develops. Hear me out. It reminds me so much of Cool Water, but it’s not nearly so synthetic and is so beautifully blended that at times I wonder if it’s just in my head that I smell the ocean. Kingston Ferry is a beast. One spray clobbers you and lasts the entire day. It conjures images of rough ocean water, the open ocean, whereas Cliffside Bonfire feels quiet and serene. Like you’re watching a calm ocean from a cliff, the occasional sea-spray misting your cheek. As for a bonfire, it’s so faint that it makes me think of a distant fire that has already been extinguished with a bucket of ocean water, yet some embers are still orange. This fragrance isn’t particularly smoky at all. Love this stuff. It makes me nostalgic for home, for San Francisco’s ocean side and my countless day trips to Bodega Bay or Stinson Beach.
Fragrantica: I really enjoyed this scent. It's like Sea of Gray's rugged bohemian sister. I enjoy an olfactory journey and this doesn't disappoint; a blast of seaweed and salty air to warm and dry woods and slight traces of smoke to chilling pines and juniper to mossy oud. There is a depth to this scent and its a lot of fun see all the notes gradually shine through. It sits very close to the skin which I prefer.
