Luxiare

I am an enjoyer of perfumes and like to test all different types to see what's special about them in their own different categories. Gourmand has been challenging for me since I am sensitive to cloying, sugary syrupy scents. Marshmallow in itself is lightly sweet and I am happy that the perfumer did not overdo it in its complexity as well as not keeping it overly simplistic as well.

The green notes are really what makes this perfume special as it starts to come out after drying down. It is further enhanced by any other perfumes that complement those notes. In this case, I had sampled Finist the Falcon next to it which had green notes and was bright, citrusy and airy. Since I am on a budget and have a bit too much of rose scents, rather than make another full bottle purchase, my best alternative to achieve the same effect is Nectarine Blossom & Honey by Jo Malone.

Darren Alan has done it again! I continue to enjoy his fine-tuned perfumes and especially in this collaboration with Statik Olfactive. I totally get the vibe of the burlesque saloon gal with this fragrance. It is a bit difficult to explain, but I'll give it a try.

There is a rustic, yet not an unpleasant scent that leans feminine, upon the initial sprays which softens over time into a lightweight, slightly sweaty suede tobacco rose. It is not heavily gourmand, and it is not cloying at all. The marshmallow note gives it a slight sweetness. It's definitely well balanced against the gin and iris. It's of moderate projection, not beast mode, not a wilting flower neither, but a struttin' confident corseted-up lady. True to the vibe.

The perfumer tells a story of a noblewoman who performed a ritual of bathing in the blood of young ladies as a form of fountain of youth. I get it.

It's moderately dark, gothic vibe, and more feminine leaning that Chypre No.1 and it leans a bit closer to the skin. If you're into Serge Lutens' La Fille de Berlin, you would likely enjoy Bathory as well. This is not a sharp perfume. A great honeyed, spicy rose upheld by that murky base and synthetic, animalic musk. The leather becomes more present after a while; it is a bit transformative as it makes one reminiscent of dried blood.

Upon first decant, I did not enjoy this fragrance. I was new to the chypre scent profile, and it took me a while to truly enjoy it. I came back after a month or so to test it once again and surprisingly enjoyed the complexity of it. There's certainly a difference between smelling it over a paper blotter versus on your skin and goodness, it really develops over my skin.

I would describe this perfume as alluring, almost as if it's drawing you in, and awaiting your attention. There are no sharp notes. It's an elegant, mossy patchouli, tinged with a light uplifting tinge of sweetness, brightened up by the floral notes and made creamy by the vanilla, butter, and sandalwood.

The bottle is good enough. I would only suggest that the bottle cap feel more sound or have that magnetic option to give it that high end feel.

Absolutely love this perfume!