A Fireplace Made of Sugar

By the Fireplace is best imagined in its ideal setting: a winter night, snow resting outside, while you're wrapped in a blanket indoors with a book in hand. It captures a feeling of warmth and comfort, but also a sense of distance - as though the fire is being observed through glass rather than experienced directly.

There is a suggestion of chestnuts roasting over an open flame, yet on my skin at least, it never goes fully realistic wood smoke. Instead, the smokiness is softened and diffused. What dominates for me, is sweetness - an intense, viscous vanilla, reminiscent of marshmallows melting into a rich sugary paste.

I can imagine it working beautifully as a candle, where its gourmand sweetness and soft smokiness would feel more atmospheric. As a wearable scent, however, it leans far too heavily into the edible realm for my taste.