ScentMagpie
3
An artist’s take on sweaty sex at the beach
Ok, so this one.
If I went by the notes and the reviews, I would have given this a hard pass without even a cursory sniff. There’s nothing about suntan lotion, the beach, sweat, pineapple, coconut or ambergris that I want anything to do with. And even though I know Francesca Bianchi is a magician, this and it’s sister Neroli were still the last of the line that I tried.
And now, having worn it multiple times and with a bottle on the way, I can say that while the notes and other reviewers are entirely accurate, that this fragrance is something entirely different than the sum of it’s parts. It’s entirely different than anything I’ve smelled before. The best way to experience this fragrance may be to forget all that’s been written and said and smell it blind.
If I were to do that and just describe what I’m smelling, I’d say it’s sweetish and creamy, a bit lactonic but with some salt and humanity. It reminds me a tiny bit of Selperniku by January Scent Project in the fruity sweet, milky umami thing they both have going on.
Wearing this makes me think that Francesca Bianchi’s inspiration for some of her frags is all the different smells of the human body in different circumstances. (The Black Knight - after riding a horse in armor all day, Under My Skin- female sex) Here the inspiration probably is sweaty sex at the beach. But it’s the inspiration, not what the fragrance smells like. Because the fragrance smells beautiful while the reality, probably not so much. Which is why it’s art.
Like all my favorite Bianchi’s (which is getting to be rather a lot), this one is beautiful but also deeply alive, warm and human. It’s not one that I’ll probably wear a lot because it’s so strange and not me. Instead I’ll keep it for days when I want something to knock me a little off kilter, jolt me out of a rut and remind me that the world is full of all kinds of beauty and it can be found in even the most unpromising circumstances.
Coconut
Pineapple
Ambergris
Benzoin
Immortelle
Vanilla
Iris
Labdanum
Mimosa
Sandalwood
Civet
Myrrh
Rose
TommieBootje
SHHHS
Ninis
BoBoChamp
D6jo
AquaAlba
Stories
LKS1985
AlexD76
Erswan
