The Golden Diadem

[Maya]

Possets' description: "The greedy for the world's goods end up in this circle of Hell. Those whose chiefest joys were from touching gold and running diamonds through their fingers, who would give all to possess the shiny pretty treasures and possessions which all envy.

This fragrance is composed of all golden things: sweet hawthorne, darkest gold honey and molasses, syrup of tamarind, and candied ginger. The composition is beautiful."

[Petticoats]

The short version: A radiant beauty--buy this!

But to elaborate...

In bottle, warm and lovely. The honey and hawthorn are the dominant notes; this is feminine and lovely, faintly hay-like, but a softer kind than Flattery. I hope the ginger and tamarind come out more on skin.

Wet on skin: Oh, wow, beautiful. I’m not able to pick out ginger, but a fruity lusciousness is emerging. So beautiful. Definitely golden, rich but glowing.

Drying down: This is just beautiful, feminine in a rounded, developed (mature?) way. I think the warmth is the ginger, but it’s being very restrained and harmonizing with the other elements instead of elbowing past them (ginger is usually so extraverted!). I’m having a hard time putting into words the nature of Diadem's beauty. Flattery is similar, as both have that distinctive honey note, but Flattery is zingier with the pepper, certainly hotter. Diadem is more rich and serene, but it’s not stuffy; it may be the hawthorn that gives it a little soft and airy lift to balance the lushness. Womanly. I think this is an all-year-round fragrance.

Interesting: today Diadem is amping the slight fruitiness, where yesterday it dried down on the more floral side. It's a subtle difference, though, and it's beautiful both ways!

Truly a beauty. If you like honey scents, you must give this a try.

[Maya]

If you like honey scents, you must give this a try.

Can you say if this is more like the honey in the Girls Love series, or more like the deeper richer honey of Abraxas?

[Petticoats]

If you like honey scents, you must give this a try.

Can you say if this is more like the honey in the Girls Love series, or more like the deeper richer honey of Abraxas?

As it happens, I seem to have some kind of chemical intolerance of the honey in the Girls Love series--to me, it is overwhelmingly tobacco! So I was very, very relieved and happy that this is not the same--but apart from that, it's sadly impossible for me to draw a comparison.

Even though Abraxas isn't as sweet, I'd say Diadem's honey is related to it, but more sun-drenched. A bright, sweet honey. I can picture the sun shining through a jar of honey and lighting it up. It is kin to the honey note in Wiggle's Bee and Alkemia's Blessed Bee, if that helps.

[Petticoats]

@Maya, I got out Abraxas to compare, and the honey in Golden Diadem really seems lighter and brighter to me. Overall, Diadem is a sun-tinged fragrance. And oh, so lovely!

[Maya]

@Maya, I got out Abraxas to compare, and the honey in Golden Diadem really seems lighter and brighter to me. Overall, Diadem is a sun-tinged fragrance. And oh, so lovely!

Mmmmmmm! I am SO READY to TRY THIS. Squeeeee!

[lulu]

Swoon-worthy! Golden honey offset with the tartness and fruitiness of tamarind and hawthorne. No sign of the ginger or molasses but I suspect they are adding body and depth behind the scenes. I love this more than Abraxas, and that's saying something.....Glorious!!

[stellamaris]

Yet another amazing Foody Possets, sweet and gorgeous, but not twee and fleeting. Deep and lasting.