Sticky Fingers

Patchouli is such a great, versatile note in perfumery. It can be dry, earthy, dirty, smooth, herbal or chocolate-like - the list goes on. A key component of modern, post-oakmoss chypres, its earthiness makes it a good alternative to oakmoss in gems such as Amouage Jubilation 25. Smooth yet paper-y, Le Labo Patchouli 24 blew me away - it was the first balsamic patchouli scent I tried, and felt genuinely groundbreaking to me. I've since come across other such scents. Perris Patchouli Nosy Be is a chocolate-y take that I loved. Sticky Fingers (great name) is also a balsamic patchouli scent, more amber-y than paper-y or chocolate-y. For me, it conjures up the image of a nonchalant, leather-clad girl in the smoking area of a nightclub, complete with smudged eyeliner. I have been very impressed with Francesca Bianchi in the past, so I bought a discovery set. This scent is no exception, cementing me as a fan of this house. SF is patchouli-heavy from initial spray. Earthy, smoky and very smooth, it is a great balsamic take on patchouli. Smooth tonka bean follows, slightly sweet and adding to the balsamic texture. It becomes increasingly dry as it develops, with dry woods emerging, complementing the patchouli nicely. The smoky component is the perfect counterpoint to the soft sweet undertone, melding nicely with the patchouli and woods while adding interest and darkness. There are some soft spices here too. As it develops, the combination of the aforementioned balsamic notes make for a leather effect in the base. Powdery florals add body, as well as acting as a counterpoint to the smoky-leather toughness. There is a chocolate effect as it progresses, thanks to the patchouli. The sweet, smooth, smoky leather becomes increasingly musky as it fades, becoming slightly animalic in the later stages. It fades to a musky-woody skin scent, leathery until final fade. Sillage is strong and longevity is long-lasting. It is a unisex, autumn/winter evening scent. While not a crowdpleaser, SF is a great, compelling composition that is undeniably cool. Dark, smoky sweetness with a tough leather twist. 4.5/5.

I am trying this perfume today and the truth has not been any luck with me. In general, I like almost all bianchi perfumes because they seem very special and different to me ... but this does not hurt Francesca. It's also true that patchouli and I don't usually get along. I really like how it is based and in discreet quantities, but when it is the protagonist it ends up getting tired. And in this case sticky fibgers has such an amount of patchouli that it is difficult for me to differentiate it from other patchouli perfumes on the market, such as perris Montecarlo. Even so, and although my personal tastes prevent me from loving this fragrance, I have to admit that a high quality of ingredients is recognized and that as it dries, it does have something that is very Francesca, and that is that although when I bring my nose closer, it still smells of patchouli and leather, from time to time floral bursts like iris come to me that I do like. I would like to be able to smell it on another person to know how it is perceived as it may be a deceiving perfume given its high concentration. It seems to me a more nocturnal, intense and chocolatey fragrance, with a good yield. So, oh, patchouli did not convince me if you like it, do not hesitate to try it because you will surely be passionate about it. Scent: 8 Longevity: 9 Projection: 7 Quality / price: 5 Versatility: 6 Originality: 6 Global: 8

I like this one. It ultimately dries down to a lovely leather/orris/tobacco/sandalwood skin scent, very cozy and never overly sweet with just a hint of patchouli remaining on the outer edges. It opens with a stearn, dry, patchouli and leather that reminds me of scents like Profumum Roma Fumidus and Parfums D’Marly Hamdani, only it gets a spicy depth from cinnamon making it friendlier than those two. Major points for that impressive kaliedoscopic array of twists and turns it takes along the way. The vibe and smell of each stage of development varies a lot. Cooler temps really bring out the creamy sweet sandalwood/tonka from underneath. I would wear this because it drys down to something in the same family as Chanel Cuir d’Russie and Cire Trudon Ernesto candles, only with that outer edge of patchouli. Definitely considering buying a full bottle. EDIT: I should’ve waited until I wore a few more times before reviewing. Take everything I said above but multiply the patchouli by 100. I don’t know why these things happen but over time, I became more and more aware of the strength of the patchouli in this until it became, for me, a pretty straightforward patchouli-dominant scent. Yes, the rest is there too, but upon re-reading this review I realized one would have to be anosmic to patchouli to not mention its’ powerful presence in every phase of this perfume’s development. 3 out of 5.

The greatest fragrances have the power to transport you to another place and time. One sniff of Sticky Fingers and I was immediately taken back to my early 20's. That brief period of youth and freedom when you are too old for a curfew, but too young to be a "Responsible Adult". Suddenly, I was back in the dark little bookstore on campus that sold incense, crystals, tarot cards, and Aleister Crowley books. In my mind, I was a Pagan Princess that every man and woman desired. My evenings were spent in dark, smokey biker bars where, for 90 minutes, my boyfriend was a Rock God singing with his band and I was the hot groupie chick who got to go home with him. At the end of the evening, I would steal his leather jacket and snuggle up behind him on his motorcycle for the chilly ride home. This scent is a glorious blend of incense, leather and patchouli- but not the Dirty, Hippy patchouli. This is a sexy, primal, wild scent, that mellows out to a beautiful, warm embrace in a borrowed leather jacket that is 2 sizes too big. Sticky Fingers makes me want to go back and relive some of those wild days of my mis-spent youth. It is near perfection. I am in love.

It took me a little while to warm up to Sticky Fingers. The first time I sampled it, I fell head over heels in love with the punchy, leathery-patchouli opening, and was eventually disappointed with the softened, sweetened dry-down which can feel cinnamon-heavy. I found what I wanted in The Black Knight instead, which is not only my favorite FB fragrance, but one of my favorite fragrances in general. Nevertheless, I gave this sample multiple tries, and then suddenly one night, it clicked- I got these amazing wafts of this warm, embracing scent coming towards me - and I wore my sample for four days straight, something I rarely do. So I now have my own bottle of Sticky Fingers. It is wonderfully comforting and surprsingly easy to wear. The opening is still my very favorite bit, but I now enjoy that something magically airy underneath all the heavy notes, which may be the heliotrope and the musk. This softens the fragrance punch, and makes it less dense than some other FB fragrances, but it still feels subtly lived-in, warm and personal, sensual. Can't wait to wear this to a dark, crowded cafe on a cold winter evening.