Fragrances released by labels &/or perfumers headquartered in the United States
Chris Rusak has launched two captivating perfumes in 2023, including the unique Caji, a modern scent with vintage nuances. Descriptions fail to capture its dualistic essence, making it a transformative experience with notes of jasmine sambac, hay absolute, real orris butter, and aged civet. Rusak continues to impress with his distinct, experiential fragrances.
The writer expresses a love for smoke, particularly in flavors and scents, highlighting a fondness for smoked foods and spirits. Intrigued by the idea of Lapsang Souchong scented perfume, the writer purchased and wrote a review of Eustache perfume, inspired by French filmmaker Jean Eustache. Eustache perfume captures the essence of Lapsang Souchong through smoky, leathery, and earthy notes, evoking an authentic sensibility akin to Eustache’s cinematic style.
The blogger describes their experience with sampling various Arquiste perfumes, engaging with an enthusiastic and open-minded perfume discussion group. While they provide candid reviews of each scent, often unfavorably likening the fragrances to an array of non-perfume-related odors and textures, they appreciate the honest dialog among the group. The blogger also commends Arquiste for their posted COVID-19 precaution policy, a rare act of responsibility in the fragrance industry.
Perfumer Chris Rusak has published a zine entitled “Survey of Liturgical Incense” which details fourteen types of incense from eight brands. This is a brief review of the zine and accompanying set of liturgical incense samples, sold separately.
ETA: I found this draft that I wrote in September 2019. I was quite sick at the time; I wanted to write this, but it took most of my energy…
LMB (Leaves My Body) is the new parfum extrait released by Chris Rusak in October, 2021. It was announced as “AEOOJ extrait,” which refers to a previous release which was called After Every Ounce of Joy (Leaves My Body), commonly referred to as AEOOJ.
A quick review of newly-released Mond from Slumberhouse.
Smile & Shine is not something that I would have ever purchased for myself; my forest witch/eldritch librarian aesthetic doesn’t support much sunny citrus. But it is a bit of technical wizardry, which makes it interesting to me, and remarkable enough to write about. I’m a fangirl of Christophe Laudamiel, precisely because of things like this perfume.
Like Perfume Nostradamus, Chris Rusak has once again delivered the timeliest of remedies. At the end of April, we got After Every Ounce of Joy (Leaves My Body), a reflection on trauma that was deeply introspective and affecting.
Our collective trauma has only intensified in the six months since. Now, when everything else in the world feels so complex and heavy, Rusak gives us Relief, his new studio limited release. A perfume for pure enjoyment, for conjuring moments of beauty and ease.
I’ve wrestled with writing about Beast Mode for ten months now, and I still haven’t come up with anything that conveys its simple genius, the way it’s both beautiful and serious, austere and profound, how it feels like a safe embrace and a soft armor against the world. Rather than just continue to flounder, and say nothing at all, I’ve decided to take a collection of various thoughts and feelings that I’ve written down during different wearings of Beast Mode, and simply share them. I hope you find them intriguing.