Sometimes you encounter people and you realize that they are just so cool, they intimidate you with their awesomeness. Then you discover that they are in fact cooler than you could ever believe possible, because they are totally approachable and kind and nice. Such is the case for me, with the talented and beautiful Evonne, who owns Darling Clandestine. Darling Clandestine perfumes are very interesting, very complex, and quite beautiful, much like the lady who creates them.
I ordered some of the perfume solids, and have four to write about. First, some minutiae to cover: the solid perfumes come in 0.5 oz. tins, which is A LOT. I mean, no kidding a lot. These puppies are going to last for a while. Each scent comes in a base of beeswax, rice bran, and grapeseed oils. The nifty vinyl labels feature some kind of cool picture on the lid. The packaging is great, and your order comes neatly done up in cool paper. The shop theme weaves throughout everything.
First, Maudlin & Bedlam.
maud·lin /môdlin/
Adjective:
Self-pityingly or tearfully sentimental, often through drunkenness.
bedlam
Noun: A place or situation of chaotic uproar, and where confusion prevails.
So, sentimental craziness? Perhaps. The notes are dark, warm honey and herbals and wood frosted unsettlingly with weeping green leaves. Mmmm. Honey, yes, and something that strongly reminds me of chai tea rich with black pepper, and yes some woods… it’s less green than I expected. I am really, really in love with this smell. There’s also something almost medicinal about it, but in a really good way. Spicy. I am seriously in love with this smell. It’s not so feminine a guy couldn’t wear it – in fact, I think it would smell AWESOME on a dude.
Whitefall is the second scent I have to share.
The fourth moon of Athens, Whitefall, a large percentage of which was owned by a woman named Patience. Whitefall was said to not be civilization “in the strictest sense.”
It’s a comfort scent, like tea and scones and clotted cream, sweet toasted basmati rice and finished with a whiff of gunsmoke, horses, leather and a rustle of kicked-up grass. It’s heavier on the tea and scones and sweet than the other stuff, and it has a funny almost fruity thing going on with it. Which is not to say I don’t like it – I do, quite a lot in fact. It’s not as mysterious and dark as Maudlin & Bedlam, but for a gourmand comfort smell, it’ll do!
There’s a shortage of perfect breasts in this world. It would be a pity to damage yours. -Westley
Morderteile Kelah is named for a “magnificent lady with magnificent knockers.” I have actually had the pleasure of meeting said lady, and can personally attest to how cool she is (and how magnificent her, ahem, knockers are). Amber, hyacinth, milk and strawberry jam are a few of the notes in Morderteile Kelah. It’s sweet, and spicy, but not too sweet, and it has a nice warmth to it. On skin, I get a hit of spiciness, but after a few minutes the strawberry jam and milk comes out. It’s very complex and very pretty. It’s my second favorite, after Maudlin & Bedlam.
A stranger has come
To share my room in the house not right in the head,
A girl mad as birds
-Dylan Thomas
Mad As Birds is a perfect summer scent. With notes of pear and mint and smoky amber and marigolds, it’s at once herbal and also sweet. I like the garden-y aspect of it, as though you were sitting in your yard, with crushed mint under your feet and flowers and dirt nearby. Pretty much anything with some mint in it will appeal to me, and this is a fresh crushed mint note, not a toothpaste note. I almost wish Darling Clandestine made liquid perfume because I want to mist this all over my skin on a hot day…
Overall, you don’t want to miss Darling Clandestine. At a mere $9 per tin, and with the option to purchase samples first, I’m sure everyone will find something they love. Two very enthusiastic thumbs up.
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