Swarmageddon

[Jenjin]

The cry of the cicada

Gives us no sign

That presently they will die

– Matsuo Bashō, translated by William George Aston

 

This year, the forests of the eastern United States will be abuzz (pun intended) with the concurrent emergence of two separate broods,
the 17-year-old Brood XIII and 13-year-old Brood XIX. A cicada extravaganza like this one hasn’t been seen since 1803! 

 

A scent fit for a Swarmageddon: soft, dark soil, black pepper, tonka bean, decaying leaves, licorice root, ambrette seed,
sweet vetiver, bourbon vanilla, oakmoss, brown labdanum, elm bark, vegetable leather, clary sage, 13-year aged patchouli,
17-year aged patchouli, and two bright red specs of dragon’s blood resin.

[Little Bird]

Starts off as sharp, green bell peppery, cologne-like dead leaves.  I immediately looked at the notes list again and screamed "noooo" inside my own head as I read 'decaying leaves.'  Bpal seems to either use a realistic, crunchy, spicy dead leaves note or it winds up being this bell pepper cologne thing that I dislike so much.  That said, I feel like it's actually on theme here (watching cicadas lounging around my yard on all of the greenery) and the greenery fades quickly, so it doesn't bother me much.
15 minutes in, the greenery is already nearly gone to make way for a dusty, well worn, brown leather fragrance that's sweetened with a little vanilla and cozy, warm amber/labdanum.  The earthiness is dusty and parched and there is a mineral feel to this as well that makes me think of cicadas crawling through earth and stone to reach the surface and unfurl their little wings.
An hour in, it's dusty soil that still has that cool, mineral, rocky quality to it, paired with warm leather and powdery amber.  The oakmoss and clary sage add a soft, dried, herbal quality as well.
To me, this is all about cicadas journeying through the soil, drawn to the surface by the promise of green leaves and socializing. 
I've always loved cicadas (even their 'singing' has never bothered me, not even when they descended like a plague in the Ozarks during my childhood and their sound seemed to pulsate through the trees and have its own heartbeat) and I think that this perfume is a gentle ode to them and their journey.
The rocky soil and lightly sweetened leather with warm amber is so cozy and I love it.