Perfumer: Erica Vinskie
Size: 0.25 oz.
Base: Coconut Oil, Beeswax, Organic Shea Butter, Organic Cocoa Butter, Vitamin E
Vegan-friendly: No, due to the beeswax, but Henny Faire Co. offers alcohol-based perfumes that are suitable for vegans.
Natural or Mixed Media: Only the generic “fragrance” is listed in the ingredients, but these are presumably mixed media. On the brand’s website, Vinskie comments, “While all of my perfumes are 94-99.5% natural in the finished formula, I enhance and extend the naturals with sustainable synthetics. Synthetics are essential to achieve the qualities of photorealism and translucency I desire in my compositions, as well as longevity of wear.”
Fragrance Descriptions by the Brand and Notes: LILAC + lime: “Sweet, heady lilac brightened with a spritz of lime and a sprig of fennel on a base of white patchouli.” VIBURNUM + vanille: “The spicy, vanillic white bloom in all its glory with heliotrope, clove bud, and tonka bean.”
Longevity: Both fragrances last 5-6 hours on skin–excellent performance for a solid perfume.
Sillage: both go on with moderate sillage that settles to intimate within an hour. These were largely skin scents past the four-hour mark.
Fragrance category: LILAC + lime is a floral with aromatic touches. VIBURNUM + vanille is a spicy floral amber.
The experience: I’ve followed Henny Faire Co. on social media for a few years now, drawn to the backstory of perfumer Erica Vinskie and the real-life Henrietta “Henny” Fehr who inspired the brand. Henny Faire Co. creates “artisan perfumes capture the essence of Appalachia and the elegance of yesteryear,” and I was delighted to see a collection of four solid fragrances come into the line for spring. In addition to the two I’m profiling here, LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY + lichen and MAGNOLIA + lemon were also released as part of the collection. All four scents looked beautiful, but lilac trees in bloom have always been a highlight of spring for me, so LILAC + lime was an easy choice. I was also drawn to the supporting notes in VIBURNUM + vanille, but I couldn’t recall the scent of viburnum specifically. I figured I could always make a second order if I enjoyed the LILAC + lime scent, and as luck would have it, the brand included a tin of VIBURNUM + vanille as a gift with my purchase. (Thank you, thank you!) The two scents are housed in slide-top tins bearing charming vintage-inspired labels. Everything was beautifully wrapped and enclosed in a drawstring pouch.
Both perfumes evoke the actual blossoms that inspired their creation, and Vinskie has a gift for choosing supporting notes that perfectly complement these precious florals. (Patchouli with lilac–who knew?) I can smell all of the notes the brand listed in each scent’s description while also appreciating the magic of their synergy on skin.
LILAC + lime opens with zesty citrus, but lilac is clearly the star of the show. The lilac fully blooms in the first two hours of wear, its sweetness tempered by a hint of black licorice aroma from the fennel. The patchouli in LILAC + lime rises around the two-hour mark, but it’s a delicate smattering here, rather than the full-on hippie patchouli aroma, and it marries beautifully with the fading lilac as the last traces of the perfume disappear from the skin.
VIBURNUM + vanille begins as a sweet, slightly waxy white floral. As soon as I sniffed, I realized that I have indeed smelled this flower in the air, probably every spring, and this perfume captures that aroma so beautifully. Powdery heliotrope and spicy clove are noticeable, and a gentle undercurrent of tonka bean can be detected soon after swiping, enhancing the vanilla facets of the blossom. The waxy floral aspects peel away as the fragrance fades from the skin, leaving behind a warm, softly powdered vanilla aroma that invites deep sniffs.
Both scents are safe blind buys if you’re a floral fan or know someone who is. These would certainly have been highly giftable for the recent Mother’s Day holiday, but consider purchasing one and setting it aside for the next gift-worthy occasion. A gift of one of these solids will be an enduring bouquet the recipient can enjoy for months to come.
Occasion(s): I’ve worn both scents to the office, for casual daytime wear and out to dinner. These are cheerful and quietly romantic fragrances that work well for just about any occasion.
Season(s): Both are perfect for spring and will be beautiful in summer as well. I love florals and wear my floral scents year-round and I look forward to swiping these on a gray winter’s day, when I want to recall sunnier days.
Gender considerations (Note: I include this information for people who may find it valuable, though I believe all fragrances are unisex and you should wear what you love): as floral-forward scents, these skew more traditionally feminine but anyone who enjoys florals will appreciate them.
Where to buy: the fragrances are available on the official Henny Faire Co. website and at the brand’s brick-and-mortar location in Boyertown, PA. The boutique carries their perfumes, plus candles, skin care products and other gifts, and also has a custom perfume blending bar.
Price: As of this date of publication, $28 for a single tin or your choice of two solid scents for $50.
Availability: these are limited edition seasonal releases, so buy sooner rather than later! Henny Faire Co. currently ships to the United States, Canada and Mexico.
All images by me. All links ’cause I love. (All cat hairs in any photos courtesy of my cat, Vinny. It’s a never-ending battle.)
Solidly Scented 
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