Portrait of an Unidentified Man Dressed as a Skeleton

[Silvertree]

Licorice oud, blackened patchouli, anise seed, and taffy.

[MamaMoth]

very unique and compelling blend, one that i'm finding myself huffing almost addictively.

 

you must like the smell of black licorice to appreciate this one, of course. it isn't shy. personally i don't eat the stuff, but apparently i really like to smell of it!   i don't get taffy as a distinctive note, but the licorice blooms initially as almost candy-sweet. it's counterbalanced and given depth by gorgeously rich patchouli and oud, lightly woodsy and incensy, that develops more and finally takes the lead as it wears. it's just a touch smoky, perhaps. it never loses the sweetness, though it is less candy-like as time goes on.  

 

i love sweet patchoulis, and this is really mashing my buttons. the licorice gives it a wonderfully unique twist. it's complex and mysterious, but with plenty of whimsy too.  

 

i will be springing for a backup bottle. or two. probably two. 

 

2/24/23 EDIT

coming back a couple of months later to report that later in the day, this one now takes on an almost baked-goods quality.  based on the notes i can't even explain it, like licorice patchouli cookies! sweet, warm, herbal, earthy... it is just epically good.  i've gone through almost half a bottle already HOW EVEN?! 

 

Edited February 24, 2023 by MamaMoth

[Casablanca]

Here is one for licorice lovers!

 

Freshly applied, Portrait is sweet black licorice candy on my arm --- brash and unapologetic. The sweet black licorice brings Black Licorice Smut to mind, a blend I still wear on some fall and winter nights.

 

Touches of soft taffy waft in and out, adding to the candy vibe. The twin darknesses of patch and oud add some wooden stability to the mad licorice whimsy.

 

This is primarily sweet and candied, so dark it blackens my tongue to smell it. I don't think I need bottles of both it and Black Licorice Smut, but I'll enjoy this decant.

 

 

[patina]

The licorice is very much there and like candy, the way I like it. The oud here is powdery. Like licorice tucked away in soft, patchouli wood. This is very good, but I think I prefer Black Licorice Smut and Black Licorice and Dead Leaves.

[Lucchesa]

I’m all about the licorice blends, so I was puzzled to find I’d only bought an Ajevie slink of this one until I read the notes. Licorice oud sounded an awful lot like black oud, and black oud is not my friend. My caution was misplaced, though. There is nothing fecal here. It’s black salt water taffy with an earthiness provided by the oud and patchouli, and the oud gives it some early throw as well.  My only disappointment here is that it is not particularly long lasting on me, but it’s pure delight while it lasts. 

[Jenjin]

LICORICE!!! Oh gosh, my mom's favorite candy were black jelly beans. While I was growing up she had several jars scattered about our house in the deep woods. Her teeth often matched these beans  mine too because I would nibble the black candy part away and toss the middle. My fingers and lips would be a fascinating black shade to match my heart 🌚  Anyway, this is more like Scandinavian licorice to me, with a slight briny saltiness. It's gorgeous, the skin picks up the salty notes and blends right in with the velvety patchouli. This is intoxicating, give it time. It's winter on the darkest night,  you've made yourself a mug of Jäger and settled down next to the fire. It's slightly strange here, and definitely unforgettable. 

Edited January 11, 2023 by Jenjin

[Diesis]

I may need to let this rest longer, but it reminds me a lot of Gingerbread Vampire. So I love it! I'll let it rest & recheck, maybe do a comparison... but I'd guess my skin is amping the anise & the taffy, making it like an old fashioned gingerbread cookie. So, even if resting it doesn't change it? I love it!

[WoolyBee]

While I like the taste of licorice and have 100% bought (on purpose), and loved, black licorice taffy. I wasn’t positive I’d want to smell like it. But the notes were so dang intriguing, I couldn’t help myself. And I’m so glad I did. Upon first application you get a rich licorice taffy. At first I assumed I wouldn’t know what taffy would smell like in a perfume, but it smells sweet, chewy, almost a tad waxy, and old fashioned. Like old fashioned candy shop vibes. As it settles the sweetness fades ever so slightly and a warm oud pops out. I don’t get a ton of patchouli, but I think it rounds out the scent notes in a well blended way. After it’s been on your skin for a while it morphs even further into this amazing, deep oud-y patch goodness and the sugary taffy all but disappears. It’s even a tad… sexy?! I don’t think I’ve smelled a perfume quite like it. I’ve had people smell the bottle with a bit of hesitation, then smell my wrists after it’s settled and I wish I could fully describe the looks on their faces. I think you might have to like licorice to fully get this one, but if you do you’re in for a treat.

[zankoku_zen]

Licorice, patchouli and anise. Dark, dirty. Medium throw and wear length. 

[Ennikar]

I've been looking for a good, earthy licorice scent for a while with little success, and at first I passed over this one assuming the taffy would make it too sweet. In the bottle and freshly applied, it's a sweet licorice taffy, but for me the taffy burns off pretty quickly leaving a lightly sweetened woody licorice. It's somehow dark and earthy while simultaneously feeling airy and light (as a vibe, not a real scent component, nothing here is remotely aldehydic). The licorice/anise sticks around for quite a while, which I always appreciate. The throw is decent and the longevity is quite good. New go-to licoranise~