The Scent Of Temptation

A few weeks ago, I had discovered that Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab had released a line of fragrance oils inspired by the Gothic romance film, Crimson Peak.

Needless to say, I was ecstatic. I would even say, as long-time acquaintance Jillian Venters of Gothic Charm School described her reaction, "my flailing glee reached new levels".



I spent a good part of the day off-and-on scrolling through the list of the inspired mixes of scents, with names like \"The Waltz\", \"The Manuscript\" and of course \"Crimson Peak\". Scents named after the characters were included, too.

Considering my own tastes when it comes to perfume, and my experiences with scented oils, I wanted something simple. Additionally, I wasn’t able to smell them prior to purchase and at $30 per 5ml bottle, I had to be careful. Too many ingredients, and I might end up just smelling like the entire shop, and I’m not generally a fan of patchouli.

For the most part, I trust BPAL’s expertise, so I chose \"Sir Thomas Sharpe\"....

"Give in to temptation: black amber darkens a pale fougere."

It arrived today, and I happily discovered that I made a very good choice.

Gothic Charm School\"s review described this scent as such;

"The sweetness and warmth of amber, overgrown with moss, ferns, creeping vines, and every other wildly-growing green thing. As time goes on, this becomes more and more enticing."


Since perfumes and scents can vary and change on different people, I\"ll share my take on this mixture.

Right away, there is a definite amber top note, almost brash in its sharp sweetness.

As it melts to my skin, it softens into a glowing warmth. Almost like someone with an ulterior motive discovering they’re actually falling in love.

During and after the drydown stage, a spiciness comes forward. There are faint notes of floral greens and a powdery finish, like a stolen kiss while leaning on a dusty workbench.

It almost has an air of what many like about the classic Old Spice aftershave, but softer, less obvious. It has much more versatility as a unisex fragrance, and I could easily wear this daily.

I also separately ordered another bottle from the CP collection, also titled \"Crimson Peak\".

When it arrives I\"ll review that one as well, so stay tuned!

XOXO