Strangerer and Strangerer

It's funny, this perfume evolution thing. Not the evolution of perfume, but the evolution of a perfume.

Take, for instance, these two distinctly different blends I've been working on.

Blend one ~ inspired by, well, erm, a lover. Base of patchoulis, both essential oils and absolutes. Choya loban, oudh, dirty smelling tinctures (Grains of Paradise, cumin), sandalwood, vanilla, cinnamon, clove, cardamom, coffee, cocoa, frankincense, rose and magnolia.

Pre-Evolution: Blend one is beautiful in its infancy. Dark, mysterious, spicy, languid, sexy.

Blend two ~ inspired by a precocious girl, the epitome of '13 going on 30'. Blended in a base of berry tinctures, vanilla, rose maroc, rose bourbon, jasmine grandiflorum, green tea, honey, oakmoss, bergamot and amber.

Pre-Evolution: Blend two is a five-alarm fire siren blasting the hairs out of my nose, full of indoles and screaming citrus.

Post-Evolution: Blend one is mucky. No longer dark nor mysterious, this blend runs the gamut from sweet & powdery to rubbery leather asphalt. It never stays in one place. Toward the end, when it's run its willy nilly course, which, unfortunately, is about four hours later, it finally settles warmly on the skin. Darkly spicy and sweet. But what it takes to get there is sheer hell.

Post-Evolution: Blend two is honey sweet with vivid tones of lush, cloying florals and a warm skin finish. This one sticks for hours. And it should be worn by men.