Scent Name: Tiresias, The Androgyne
Manufacturer: Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab – Carnaval Diabolique, Act III: Fiat Nox
Scent Description and Notes: “Upon the next stage, a spotlight is focused on a mammoth bronze sculpture of two snakes entwined. Their bodies are wrapped around each other in an intimate embrace, and their tongues touch suggestively. The deep, somber boom of a standing bass leads into a twelve-string guitar’s plaintive moan, and as the music swells, a stunning, statuesque woman steps out from behind the statue, her fierce and regal face in profile. The spotlight dims to a deep amber-red, and shines a dark, sanguine light onto her, tinting her long, wild hair the color of blood. She sings:
Sunday is gloomy, my hours are slumberless.
Dearest, the shadows I live with are numberless.
Little white flowers will never awaken you,
Not where the black coach of sorrow has taken you.
Angels have no thought of ever returning you.
Would they be angry if I thought of joining you?
Gloomy Sunday.
She turns, and abruptly faces left. Her features are coarser, more masculine, and you notice the rough, dusky shadow of an evening beard on the singer’s face. On this side, the hair is cropped short, and as s/he sighs and begins the next verse, you hear the voice deepen to a weathered, sorrowful baritone.
Gloomy is Sunday; with shadows I spend it all.
My heart and I have decided to end it all.
Soon there’ll be candles and prayers that are sad, I know.
Death is no dream, for in death I’m caressing you.
With the last breath of my soul I’ll be blessing you.
Gloomy Sunday.
The singer turns to face the audience, and your senses reel. On the left side, the features are sharp, but feminine. You can see the curve of her breast, the soft fullness of her hips, the arch of her fine brow. On the right, it is the body of an Adonis, muscular and commanding. You see that a thick seam runs down the center of the body, stitched roughly.
Though the vision is disconcerting, the warmth and passion in the singer’s voice swells inside your heart, and you are spellbound. Enraptured, you realize that though the gender is opposed on either side, one soul binds the whole.
Dark, moody, and bittersweet: black currant, patchouli, tobacco, cinnamon leaf, caramel, muguet, and red sandalwood.” -https://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/carnaval-diabolique/carnaval-diabolique-2015/tiresias-the-androgyne/
Oil Color: A rich, almost buttery copper colored oil.
Bottle Design and Artwork: This is a 1/32 imp decant from Ajevie. The label features the year and the company name across the font in large burgundy and purple font. The back of the label has the company name and scent notes in small black font, while the name of the scent is above that in larger stylized black font. The bottle image appears as follows:
Scent:
- ITI: At first, I pick up the waxy floral of muguet, but that quickly gives way to caramel-covered pipe tobacco and fiery sandalwood with a pinch of cinnamon leaf with just a blush of black currant in the distance.
- Wet: Caramel-forward over dryly aromatic patchouli and tobacco, burnished with light cinnamon leaf and a sparkle of lily amongst the sandalwood in the background. The combination of caramel, patchouli, and tobacco almost comes off like a delightfully provocative chocolate, which I’m here for.
- Dry: Patchouli and black currant swirl together, sugary caramel-sweet with flashes of coppery sandalwood and fading tobacco clearly linger on the skin after 8 hours. This is a sexy scent, for sure.
Other Impressions: [Wet] “I don’t know why, but it reminds me of my Aunt in New York’s house. It’s not bad, but homey for me.” -Tony