Some weeks ago I ordered a custom perfume. It finally arrived yesterday and I wore it to work today, so let’s give it a review!
First, some background:
The company I ordered from is Mad Labs Studios, and while this is my first custom order, I already have several of their scents: Krampus, Artificer, Endless Delirium, Endless Dream, Endless Death, and Wizard. I also have several of their soaps, which they no longer offer.
My wife also has quite a few of their scents, and had a custom perfume done for her Cyberpunk Red character.
I’d been thinking about getting a custom scent for a while, so when five custom slots opened earlier this month, I jumped at the chance. I’d wanted a perfume based on one of my favorite bands: My Chemical Romance.
I also thought it was a marvelous pun to have a fragrance named after them.
I’d done a bit of research in the form of listening to their music for the last . . . twenty years? can that be right? and made a list of scents loosely related to recurring themes in their music:
- honey, for sweetness
- whiskey, for alcohol/drugs
- blood, for – well – blood
- metal/oil, for cars, machinery, and guns
- water/rain (self-explanatory)
- gunsmoke/sulfur/matches/fire, for conflict
- roses, for love
- books/paper/ink, for stories and letters
Then it was a waiting game. Not that I was impatient; I wanted it to be done right – which I knew it would be. And about two weeks later I got the notification that it was in the mail!
Of course, the USPS got up to its own shenanigans by sending it forty miles and two days out of the way, but finally I heard the rustle at the door and a notification on my phone and lo and behold my perfume had arrived!
Obviously I had to have a little photo session:
Of course I opened it to smell it, but the real test is in the wearing, and so today I wore it to work – rolling it on my wrists and just under my jawline.
Then I smelled my wrists every 15 minutes or so to see how the scent changed over time, cleansing my olfactory palette with some deep inhalations of coffee.
If I were to type up a review of the perfume, it would look something like this:
This My Chemical Romance-inspired perfume is a unique and bold fragrance capturing the essence of the band’s dark and edgy style.
Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge
The top notes of the perfume feature the rich and sweet smell of honey balanced with the smoky and earthy scent of whiskey – creating a warm and inviting aroma that draws you in.
In the middle of a gunfight
In the center of a restaurant
As the fragrance develops, the sharp and distinct scent of gunsmoke becomes noticeable, giving the perfume a bit of an edge and making it feel somewhat dangerous and unpredictable.
A hint of fire is also present, adding a touch of intensity and heat to the fragrance.
I Brought You My Bullets
You Brought Me Your Love
At the heart of the perfume is the soft and romantic scent of roses, contrasting nicely with the earlier notes and adding a delicate touch. Perhaps somewhat unexpectedly, the rose is accompanied by a hint of blood, adding a slightly darker and more macabre element.
So long and goodnight
Overall, this is a complex and intriguing fragrance capturing MCR’s unique style and aesthetic. It’s a daring and provocative scent that isn’t afraid to push the boundaries and stand out from the crowd.
Running In My Head 