Handbook For The Recently Deceased

A funereal woody aromatic scent centered around a nice frankincense that remains throughout the wear of the perfume. Initially one can detect slight notes of a chalk like accord which soon gives way to artemisia and woody notes. As the perfume settles one detects hints of patchouli, papyrus and slight beeswax. The scent in many ways is similar to Lavs by Unum, but is a bit more playful. It leans masculine and has moderate sillage and good longevity. Not as scary as it’s name sounds. Enjoy!

This was a limited studio juice run of 100 bottles. It arrived and I was so excited, because the note list was interesting and I like the movie Beetlejuice. So far reminds me of a cross between El Cosmico x Notorious Oud. It seems to mainly be a lighter El Cosmico. I even sprayed that one on one side and then this one and the dry down and development was nearly identical. I get the pine, green notes with their DS & Durga style incense, and a tiny bit of their oud accord.

First impression upon receiving my bottle was a transparent supercut of a few DSDs: opened like Mississippi Medicine, transitioned into El Cosmico, and settled into something similar to Bowmakers. This was especially apparent on skin. However, I sprayed it on paper a few hours later and got something closer to the chalk/artemisia as described. Still, got the same supercut effect on skin with little staying power. Now, I've been wearing this every day for the past week or so and am starting to realize that the fragrance simply needs more time to macerate/settle. It's slowly starting to come into its own and I'm picking up the artemisia and a moldy chalk/paper funk more prominently a week after first trying it. It also lasts and projects much better. This seems to be a trend with DSD Studio Juices since I experienced something similar with Magnolia City (which now, after months of sitting in a dark, cool place smells incredible), so be aware of this if you decide to pick up the next one or are still scratching your head over Handbook. Anyway, it's headed in a very promising direction, and I hope it continues its trajectory. Will return for an update in due time.

It's surprisingly beautiful despite me not really being interested in the notes listed. A bit of incense, mostly chalky limestone, patchouli, and a woody/herby absinthe (not a fennel/licorice absinthe). Definite damp/decay vibes, but still very wearable. It's bold and botanical, with a lovely mineral quality. They list "model trees" as a note and it definitely has a vague manufactured smell, which I don't hate. It has some similarity to El Cosmico, but less harsh and the addition of some softer notes.

@ekoeko - this is the name of the book from the Beetlejuice movie. I'd love to get my hands on a bottle as Beetlejuice is my favorite movie of all time!