WHAT I SMELL: The Decay of the Angel opens on the skin with soft and creamy mandarin and neroli, that quickly becomes contained in a mentholated tent of a indolic jasmine. The perfume’s florals are rich and thick and they feel like they’re full of syrup that coats the skin. The perfume is incredibly unique, absolutely stunning and mind numbing when breathed in. After a short while, the syrupy thickness begins to melt away, but the mentholated florals remain with a softened tone. After a bit, a light suede settles in under the florals as they continue to thin and the perfume continues to radiate, but with a softer intensity. After a short while longer, a light plastic ebbs in, like the smell of a fleshy band-aid. It’s not a bad smell, but mixed with the florals it’s interestingly unique. In the end, the labdanum is the star, giving the perfume a warmed and comforting musk that lingers with the remains of the ghost like florals.
A rich and exotic burnt floral fragrance with a subtle headiness that comes from desire infused by flowers on the wane. Inspired by Yukio Mishima’s 1971 novel of the same name, these are the final longings of a descending angel.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A dilapidated French château. Once full of life with beautiful gardens it’s now a reflection of it’s former self.
THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE THE DECAY OF THE ANGEL: haunting, introspective, unique
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE DECAY OF THE ANGEL: None to be found.
BOTTOM LINE: I love this perfume. It’s achingly beautiful in a otherworldly way. Sometimes perfumes speak to the soul. In this case The Decay of the Angel does to mine.
Based in London, Timothy Han approaches perfume making a little differently, choosing to produce perfumes in small batches called editions stating that raw fragrance materials vary year to year like grapes for wine. As such, theses variations means each run of perfume is created in a limited volume, with edition numbering to allow you to easily identify which batch of perfume your bottle came from.
Both fragrances in the collection were inspired by iconic works of literature. And each fragrance is accompanied with a numbered work of art on the box cover tied to an individual artist. Similar to differing covers that appear with each new print run of a book, each edition of a perfume will also feature new artwork by the same artist.
ON THE ROAD – WHAT I SMELL: On the Road begins it’s journey with a lush, moist muted lemon and galbanum. The perfume is a little sour in addition to having an undertone of what smells like dirty socks. In a short time, the perfume begins to feel pinched as a birch tar takes over, mixed with what feels like a plastic sole from a tennis shoe. After a few more minutes, the perfume feels as if there is a bonfire that is now lightly burning but which stemmed from a set of tires that once were raging in the flames. Quickly, that aspect of the perfumes development disappears and the perfume moves to more of a rubbery consistence. The perfume softens considerably and begins to become strangely pretty with what seems to be a sweetened patchouli and vanilla stirred into the rubbery mixture.
SHE CAME TO STAY – WHAT I SMELL: She Came to Stay opens up with a warm, inviting geranium topped with cloves and spices. It feels as if you’re walking into an herbal terrarium, with a breeze of lemon wafting through. The perfume however is not light; instead, all of the components feel heavy, heady and pressed with weight. After a few minutes, the perfume does begin to lighten as a metallic edge joins the herbs. This edge actually does feel like a metallic pole that is planted right at the center of the perfume. Although not bad, it does feel as if the perfume rotates lushly around this singular component. There’s a great deal of movement in the perfume and as it continues to develop a mentholated labdanum starts to emerge. Again, the perfume is warm and herbal. After some time, the warmth retreats and the herbaled lemon ends up sitting on top of a woody base with hints of cloves and nutmeg
Base – Patchouli, Vetiver, Labdanum, Oakmoss, Cedarwood
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Wilson from Castaway. There’s something very remote about the way this perfume feels. Even though it’s warm and herbal, it feels very distant and aloof.
THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE SHE CAME TO STAY: herbal, removed, distant
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT SHE CAME TO STAY: No reviews found besides feedback on Fragrantica.
BOTTOM LINE: Both of these perfumes are interestingly different in their own right. On the Road is really intriguing in that it captures the post WWII age of a new generation through plastics and the automobile. It has a nostalgic vibe and in the end feels very comforting and secure.
WHAT I SMELL: The Decay of the Angel opens on the skin with soft and creamy mandarin and neroli, that quickly becomes contained in a mentholated tent of a indolic jasmine. The perfume’s florals are rich and thick and they feel like they’re full of syrup that coats the skin. The perfume is incredibly unique, absolutely stunning and mind numbing when breathed in. After a short while, the syrupy thickness begins to melt away, but the mentholated florals remain with a softened tone. After a bit, a light suede settles in under the florals as they continue to thin and the perfume continues to radiate, but with a softer intensity. After a short while longer, a light plastic ebbs in, like the smell of a fleshy band-aid. It’s not a bad smell, but mixed with the florals it’s interestingly unique. In the end, the labdanum is the star, giving the perfume a warmed and comforting musk that lingers with the remains of the ghost like florals.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A dilapidated French château. Once full of life with beautiful gardens it’s now a reflection of it’s former self.
The Scented Hound 