Calico Jack

Absolutely adore this. I've read that Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab fragrances can change as they sit and develop, so I look forward to seeing if/how it changes over time BUT as a new sample it's really gorgeous. Definitely bright and aquatic but the leather and woody notes are in the background giving it really delicious depth. It lives up to the name. Not a typical fresh aquatic (though I do love those) it's got more going on. The notes of wood, spice, and musk do fall to the background. Not heavy on those but they're definitely present. For me, that's a plus. I find those notes to be too loud and sharp for me in a lot of cases, so I like that I can enjoy them in this blend.

CJ is quite true to its description and title. It's a salty, sea-dog, swashbuckling type of scent. It's nice - I'm not convined that I'd buy a bottle, but I do like it. I find it interesting to note that imho the notes that would seem heavy in this fragrance aren't so heavy. The salt and seawater lead the charge here - not the leather, spices or musk, although all three are in the background. And I suppose if you're asea, the saltwater is the dominating motif of your existence for the time being, w/your skanky pirate clothes rating second in importance at this point. Anyway, there's not much development here - and frankly I'm not sure what driftwood smells like or how you'd capture the essence of that, but regardless, CJ is a nice enough scent to try.

I love this scent. It is nearly all mid and bottom notes though, so I usually combine it with something that has very little bottom to compete with it (which seems to describe so many modern perfumes). I enjoy combining it with different scents, although sometimes with disastrous, but short-lived results. Ultimately the Calico Jack is left, like the weather-word, rugged fisherman it is. To me, it smells like a sea-side cabin in Maine. Salt, dry aged wooden floorboards, faded pipe smoke, with a very subtle undercurrent of musk. The scent is more intensely evocative to me than anything else I've smelled, and my scent collection includes well over 200 perfumes. Definitely not a traditional scent, much less traditional for a woman to wear, but I love it.

On application from an imp sample: a wave of florals and soapiness that overpowers anything marine or salty. As it dries down, I'm getting a hint of musk, but absolutely no leather or driftwood. The poetic descriptions for this scent are a little too off-mark. The final scent is something that's soapy, slightly marine, slightly spicy, and overall a fairly gender neutral scent. Overall, very soft and inoffensive, but not entirely memorable either and definitely not worth a full bottle. If you're going to try an oceanic scent from BPAL, I'd recommend Jolly Roger for your next pirate perfume kick.

LAB'S DESCRIPTION "Sea air, driftwood, waterlogged kelp, and the memory of plundered spices sprayed over worn leathers, rough musk, and the salty wooden floorboards of the Revenge." This is predominantly an aquatic scent with a saltyness. I get absolutely no leather from this at all...and a tiny bit of musk. It's got a colgne edge to it, which is making it more masculine. I also don't get any kind of woodsy smell from this blend. It's much different than I had expected.. Overall not a standout scent but still pleasant.