Heretic Parfum Smudge…

And a few others.

I was going to write about something else for today as I didn’t expect this parcel to arrive quickly. But it did so here we are.

I need to say straight up I shouldn’t have bought these samples. I am still in theory not buying much in the way of samples and def no bottles except the Neela Vermeire Creations Eshal at Xmas time.

But. There was a sort of Halloweeny-themed perfume article in the weekend Financial Times a couple of weeks ago and I fell down the rabbit hole regarding Heretic samples because the writer was so taken with Smudge.

Now, I’ve been thinking about smudging using sage bundles since March mentioned it in a post ages ago. A friend sent a Halloween box (as she’s done for the past few years) and there was a sort of smudging kit among the stuff included, which set me off thinking again.

So, without thinking it through (Heretic is based in LA – and ordering anything from the US right now is just plain stupid) I was at the website. So, this happened.

Here’s the text that set me off: “I was talking to Hannah Martin recently … (you don’t need all the faff) and became fixated by (I think this should be ‘on’) the moreish aroma of sage and oud that enveloped the self-described ‘punk-goth-lux’ jewellery designer… ‘It’s Smudge by Heretic … It’s sexy and dirty, rich and complicated. It’s like nothing I’ve smelt before’.”

Now, you’re probably wondering why that set me off as I keep saying I’m not into challenging right now. I don’t know what makes my perfume brain kick in sometimes.

I looked at the website and their five sample make-your-own box didn’t have the things I wanted. Being bolshie about these things, I emailed them and asked if 1) they’d do a set of what I wanted and 2) would they ship to the UK. Yes, it turns out, to both. After a bit of mucking around (the website did some confusing things) I ended up with my set. The people I dealt with were really helpful. Oh, and they threw in some extras, which is not a common thing these days.

Anyway, March looked at Dirty Vanilla here and Portia and Patty have done various ones in the past.

Today, to be a bit Halloweeny themed, we’re doing Smudge – plus Poltergeist and Nosferatu.

Smudge. Notes include Atlas cedar, frankincense, Sichuan pepper, Clary sage, juniper, Tonka bean, Canadian balsam, labdanum, patchouli, sandalwood and styrax. So, first off vs what the journalist noted, no oud mentioned. I know I’m being snarky, but I can’t help it.  On me, this is very similar to Dior Eau Noire for the first while. There’s no mention of immortelle in the notes though. It’s then very cedary up top and cedar isn’t one of my favourite notes. But that’s not there long and the body of this is thick, syrupy, herbal and smoke. It’s good. If you’re feeling challenging stuff right now this is well worth a look. The cedar returns later but modified by the tonka. Heretic offers this in a 15 ml spray for £60 on the UK-focused site, which puts it squarely in the maybe affordable area (I think all the fragrances are offered in more accessible size/price points).

Poltergeist. Notes include juniper, wormwood, frankincense, champaca, birch tar, cade, vanilla, patchouli, labdanum and Palo Santo fruit. The opening on this did not make me happy. Really cold (which I guess is the point) woods. Uncomfortable making. Sour but not the Band-Aid-ish smell of oud. Big hit of something menthol. This freezing discomfort clears reasonably fast and then we’re into what I can only think is wormwood. Anyway, a smell of desiccated wood, like damp mossy stumps that have been sitting in a forest for decades with all kinds of things living in them. This settles a bit and becomes a tad more accessible. The birch tar comes through and the fragrance becomes manageable. Warmer. I would remind that I have low body temp and this might skew very different on someone warmer. It is very goth. And I do mean very.

Nosferatu. This is noted as limited edition on the website. Notes include lilac, ambrette, petrichor, violet, orris concrete, cypriol, vegan ambergris, oud and labdanum.  This starts out the smell of orris carrot straight out of the freezing soil that many love in Lutens Iris Silver Mists but without the cold I find really unsettling. I do get lilac and it is pretty true to the flower. This is so not me it made me twitchy, but if you can do ISM and things like that it might be for you. Interestingly, this became cold lilac in the drydown which is still not me but very interesting, as noted, and I could see wearing this on fabric. Also, the day when I wore this on one wrist and Smudge on the other, this is the one I could smell the next morning. Go figure.

These all have very decent longevity and there’s the big plus of 15 ml sizes if you buy some samples and fall for something.

The branding reminds me of Etat Libre d’Orange in the reaching for the weird and challenging. This definitely reads ‘we’re trying hard’. If you’re in the US a stroll through one of their sample packs could be a lot of fun. It’s a bit more expensive and challenging if you’re outside the US but still might be worth the trouble if something makes your brain fizz.

Pics: mine