As Dark Things Are Meant To Be Loved

"I love you as certain dark things are to be loved, in secret, between the shadow and the soul. I love you as the plant that never blooms but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers; thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance, risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body." - Pablo Neruda Lapsang souchong tea, aloeswood, smoked black amber, aged dark patchouli, tonka, Amazonian breuzinho, Moroccan bhakoor, labdanum, temple incense, caramelized opium, black coffee, black coconut, soft Russian leather, and tabac leaf. Beside Serge Lutens, Alkemia Perfumesis my favorite perfume house. It's official. They both have such a deep well of imagination and quality. "As Dark Things Are Meant to Be Loved" is like nothing you've ever tried before. Like comments say below, "sophisticated, dark, mysterious", "sweet, spicy, earthy, mineral-like", "deep dark beer", "spiced rum", "jazz bar", etc This is such an incredibly multilayered, deep perfume that invokes the imagination in such a profound way. I am consistently smelling my hand and finding new layers to explore here. Superb. 9/10

At first this just smelt like caramel coffee beans. Then it changes into a deeper, more complex, multifaceted scent - the incense, tobacco and coconut come through. I can't smell any leather but I have only allowed this to rest for a few days. It's warm, smoky and slightly sweet. It's dark, mysterious but it has a soft throw so it won't offend people, I wasn't expecting this to be scent to be soft and inoffensive, you can easily get away with wearing this to work. It sort of reminds me of the drydown of Lord of Misrule by Lush, with less pathouli. I'm already addicted to this, I can't stop sniffing my wrists. I can't wait to see what it smells like after a month of aging. I intend to get a full size bottle ❤️

This is a very complex scent, with many layers. I would say the first thing that strikes me when I sniff my hand is the incense, which cuts through everything else but without overpowering the other components. Then, there is a non-floral sweetness which must come from the coconut and the coffee. It is not very gourmand, however. There is also old dry tobacco (I'm from North Carolina, I know that smell well) and a difficult-to-discern combination of scents I can best describe as "grandmother's musky old perfume left at the bottom of the bottle." Altogether, a great scent for brisk fall days! Though it is labeled "unisex," I think this is definitely more feminine, albeit in an unconventional way.

What grabs me at first is the sweet amber, coconut, coffee, caramel note. The incense, tea, and patchouli function as a base that adds complexity to the notes that take this from chai latte to something sensual. That only intensifies in the dry down as the oud and labdanum become more pronounced. Think of Calvin Klein Obsession in terms of the ambery warmth and soft sweetness with smoke, spices, and coffee. I'll update with performance notes once i've had a couple of wears but my GF did stop what she was doing when I walked passed her to shove her face in my neck so i think that speaks to its sillage and projection. I see myself wearing this on date nights and anytime I want to smell mysterious.

This is an absolutely stunning composition. Deep, layered, and complex, I've worn it a few times now and I still feel like I'm trying to get to know it because it seemed to have something different to offer every time I bring my attention to it. With an oil perfume, one expects an intimate projection, but I am a little surprised by the longevity. It fades down to nothing within a few hours. Still, at this price, who cares? I'm happy to reapply and enjoy the journey of its development a few times a day. This is my first sampling of Alkemia, and I am very impressed. Come payday, the first thing I'll do is buy As Dark Thing Are Meant to Be Loved and a couple of Alkemia sample sets!