A Review of Every Fragrance from Riddle Oil

My relationship with fragrance has always been a strong one. It’s always one of the last things I reach for before heading out the door – and if I find I’ve forgotten it, I wind up feeling almost a little bare in public.

At the same time, my relationship with fragrance is also a little fleeting, lasting only as long as the bottle does before I’m ready to move along to something new.

I tend to collect fragrance sample vials like a child (or perhaps an otter) collects rocks, spreading them out on my dresser and relishing the discovery of yet another new scent.

I’ve always hoped this practice would lead me to find the one – the scent I’d want to wear every day, the scent friends and family would come to recognize me by. But it never has, and those mini vials go empty frustratingly fast.

Feeling like I’ve experienced almost every major fragrance at Sephora, I set my sights on exploring the world of indie fragrances. In small batches, made by just a few hands (and noses), these fragrances offer something far more unique than mainstream perfumes. But though there are so many options out there, there are few ways to experience these fragrances without ordering online and taking an expensive risk.

So when visiting a boutique in Beaufort last fall, my eyes zeroed in on a fragrance display from a brand I’d never heard of.

The clear, minimalist packaging only added to the mystery – only up close could I read the brand’s name: Riddle.

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This post is not sponsored, and I purchased this product directly from the brand. This post contains commissionable links. Note: you can use my referral link to save $10 off your first purchase if you wish.

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Intrigued, I swiped one of the tester bottles across my wrist. I liked what I smelled, but I know from experience that fragrances can change throughout the day. Not only can the scent shift with wear, but some perfumes stay partnered with you until sundown, and others disappear before lunchtime.

After arriving home that evening, I noticed the scent remained pleasantly light by my side. But which variety had I tried? I honestly couldn’t recall, despite trying to pin it down. While browsing the Riddle site, I stumbled upon their Discovery Kit, which includes a mini rollerball of each fragrance oil and a gift card to put toward the purchase of a larger bottle. Yes, please.

Each mini rollerball contains 1ml of each of Riddle’s seven scents, and the $50 gift card included can be applied to purchasing an 8ml or 20ml bottle. After a month of wearing each and every one of these tiny fragrances, I’m finally ready to hit publish on this post.

Today I’m sharing a little about the brand, a review of each fragrance in Riddle Oil’s lineup, and yes, revealing the one I’ve chosen for my full-size fragrance. Before I begin, I should share that I have a hobbyist’s interest in fragrance – while I feel I have a decent amount of knowledge on the subject, I’m certainly not an expert. That being said, most of the people you encounter while wearing these scents are not going to be fragrance experts either (just something to keep in mind!).

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About Riddle

Riddle is a woman-founded skincare and fragrance brand with roots in Venice, California. The brand produces body oils, spray lotions, roll-on fragrance oils, and candles in each of its seven signature scents. With a limited number of ingredients in each product, Riddle’s fragrances ring true to their base, middle, and top notes. The brand’s most popular scents, however, are their pheromone oils, which interact with the wearer’s chemistry to create a unique scent – which often goes undetected by the wearer. You can read more about pheromone oils here.

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A Review of Every Scent from Riddle Oil

Today I’m reviewing all seven scents in Riddle’s fragrance oil lineup. No matter the size, from a tiny sample size to 20ml, each oil is dispensed in a rollerball bottle (rather than a spray). In the past, most of my fragrances have been alcohol-based formulas for their quick-drying capabilities and lower cost, and it takes some getting used to the oil application if you’re new to it.

Although perfume oils do not have the throw of an alcohol-based spray, they “stick” to the application points better and last longer because of their more concentrated formula. Riddle’s line contains two pheromone oils and five fragrance oils; below is the scent chart detailing the notes of each:

Before I dive into my reviews, here’s how my process works for wearing and testing a scent: In the morning, I evenly apply the scent on my clean, dry wrists and neck and allow it to settle. I give it a whiff, noting what I smell and its strength before getting dressed and going about my day. After at least eight hours, I check in again to see how the fragrance has morphed throughout the day and how easily detected it is. During this time, I’m careful not to exercise or raise my body temperature too much, as it can affect the scent. After wearing and testing each of Riddle’s seven fragrances, here are my thoughts:

Original

One of the pheromone scents, Original is described as, “Subtle pheromone oil that smells like fresh, clean skin” thanks to its notes of amber and musk. After testing it out, clean sums up this scent perfectly. It evokes the memory of freshly washed laundry hanging on the line, imbued with the smell of sunshine. It smells familiar and comfortable. When walking into a room shortly after application, I heard, “Ooh, someone smells amazing!” which means this scent will be an open secret for at least a little while before it fades slightly. After a full eight-hour wear, I still found myself drawing my wrist to my nose, eager to experience it up close – a very good sign.

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Santal

This scent playfully combines warm and bright notes in a seductive combination of cardamom, amber, sandalwood, orchid, and cassis. It is a great dupe for Le Labo’s Santal 33, although I don’t feel that it has the same staying power. I applied Santal in the morning and went back for a second application after lunch. By the time the evening ended, only the ghost of this fragrance oil remained on my wrists.

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Muse

One whiff of this heady fragrance, and you just might think you’re smelling a bouquet. Somehow, the combination of coconut, peony, magnolia, bergamot, sandalwood, and amber conjures up images of gardenias – a beautiful scent to many, but not a personal favorite of mine. It lingers long enough, though, so I’ll occasionally use this rollerball in the springtime (but I immediately realized I would not be choosing Muse for my full-size bottle). If you’re into old-school florals, though, Muse might be the one for you.

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Poppy

After applying each fragrance for the first time, I closed my eyes and tried to pick apart the notes of each one. For Poppy, I caught whiffs of citrus, rose, and something fresh and green – which isn’t too far off from Riddle’s notes: orange blossom, lemon, rose, and ylang-ylang. Poppy is a fragrance I’d love to wear in late spring or early summertime when poppies are blooming – although the heat may affect its wearability. Even in the current chilly weather, only a trace of the fragrance could be detected by the end of the day.

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Ex

If I had to characterize Ex, it would be a moody library with wooden shelves, walls lightly stained from pipe tobacco, and the slightly sweet scent of dried flowers. But officially, its notes are cardamom, sandalwood, rose, violet, jasmine, moss, and musk. My nose detects the sandalwood, musk, cardamom, and floral notes pretty heavily, but to me, it doesn’t smell as “green” as it is described. Ex is intriguing, combining scents traditionally considered feminine and masculine in one, and it’s on par with Original in terms of longevity. Ex is a powerful dose of nostalgia – one I admit I’m slightly fearful of. It’s brilliant, but it takes some bravery to wear.

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Sphinx

After applying Sphinx I double-checked the bottle to make sure I didn’t accidentally use Original. Both are pheromone-based fragrances with a musk note in common, so I feel a little validated in my confusion. Sphinx is Original’s woody cousin, but on me, this scent isn’t as strong. It does last all day, but the scent is so light I can only smell it up close. I don’t like to wear my perfumes very intensely, but I do like to be able to smell them a little bit throughout the day. Though this is part of the “schtick” behind pheromone oils – being noticeable to others, not necessarily to you – Michael also couldn’t detect the scent easily.

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Voyeur

Before reading the description for Voyeur, I wrote down, “powdery and sweet vanilla.” Lo-and-behold the description from Riddle: Warm, sweet, powdery. With notes of vanilla, sandalwood, and amber, the first note rings through the clearest – even after eight hours of wear. Voyeur is a fragrance that doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not, but to me, it reads as a bit shallow: there’s nothing under the surface and no discernible change in the scent throughout the day. But perhaps that’s the perfect fragrance for the person who wants to know exactly what they’re getting.

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Limited Edition: Nude Beach

Just in time for Summer 2023, Riddle launched their first limited edition fragrance: Nude Beach. The team very kindly sent a bottle of the roll-on fragrance oil so I can keep this post up to date, and let me just say that they’ve really managed to capture summer in a bottle. There’s a lot going on in this scent (with notes of bergamot, sea spray, mandarin, jasmine, coconut, neroli, and amber, to me it smells like Muse fell into a vat of my childhood summer sunscreen), yet it feels incredibly balanced. Just like summer, this scent is a bit fleeting – but it’s magnetic while it lasts.

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My Favorite Riddle Oil

Original.

(Were you able to guess?)

Original feels so unlike other fragrances I’ve experienced that it makes the most sense for me to choose it for my full-size bottle. That being said – I opted for the 8ml size in case I begin to go nose-blind or begin to feel bored, figuring I can always reorder.

As for the remaining mini bottles, they’re the perfect size for travel, and I look forward to creating new scent-based memories around the world with them.

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Which Riddle Oil is Right for You?

Choosing a fragrance is an incredibly personal decision, but I’m happy to offer a little bit of guidance. If you like strong, bold scents, you might consider Ex or Santal. If you prefer to stop and smell the roses (and other florals), you might want to try Poppy or Muse. If you love moody, woody fragrances, Ex, Santal, or Sphinx. Or if you want something that’s just a little different than anyone else’s scent, give Original a go.

Of course, you can always do as I did and order a sample set. And to make the purchasing process a little easier, you can also use my referral link to save $10 on your first order.

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What questions do you have about Riddle Oil’s fragrance lineup?