Black Salt

I got a sample from purchasing the beach goth perfume set and I do not think this is a summer goth scent personally. However, I do quite like it for what it is though. I was a little disappointed in that I couldn't really detect any of the salt notes on me here (I am learning that salt notes probably do not come up very well on me personally). But the reason why I like this quite a lot is because it reminds me a lot of my home country. When I smelled this out of the little sample vial I got, my first words were "it smells like the Philippines." I feel like I must have smelled a similar fragrance in a shopping mall or a cafe or a bar that I went to either when I used to live there or in more recent times when I have visited. I'm not sure. But reading the fragrance notes, I think it makes sense because the citrus in this reminds me of the calamansi fruit commonly found in Filipino cuisine, the white florals remind me of how jasmine sambac is the country's national flower and the aquatic notes here to me is reminiscent of the country's tropical climate. Black Salt also kinda reminds me a bit of a fizzy fruity cocktail I might drink on a warm summer day. The dry down smells a bit like lime coke lol but I don't mind that at all. This makes this perfume surprisingly gourmand adjacent to me. In saying that, even though I find Black Salt to be quite a typical summer scent in many ways, I feel like there is something about this that makes it not reminiscent of the popular touristy beaches. To me, it's more of a smaller seaside town beach that only locals to the towns around it go to. Similar to beaches in towns like Zambales, for those who know where that is in the Philippines. The beaches are just as nice to go for a dip in the water, but it's a little quieter and the locals have their own urban legends they've been telling each other for generations about mythical creatures that might roam around the seashore and beyond at night time. I am contemplating about getting a full size once the sample is out, especially because the longevity of this on me has been pretty good at around 10 hours. But it is going to be a bit of splurge...

Nosferatu for California girls. :D On me it smells like San Diego in winter - briny, cold, aquatic, like going for a beach walk in 62 degree weather (frigid!!!) at dusk, slipping down the cliffs and popping one of those kelp bulbs. Your feet are chilly and coated in that black silt (hmm, one letter off, gang) that you can't brush off. Your jean hems are soggy and salty. You are happy! Mine has macerated for 4 months and now it’s stronger on the eucalyptus and seaweed and salt without tasting like a mouthful of ocean water, and the lime doesn’t make it smell like a marg. It doesn't read sweet at all on me. It makes me feel fresh but not clean, if that makes sense - like you DID wash your hair after surfing, but just at the public showers that spit more than rinse, and no shampoo. On my spouse I want to die, like yes please let me drown in THIS ocean. Holy guacamole. It's beautiful and citrusy, the rose breathes out, the salt is bracing, the petrichor intoxicating.

The scent I didn't know I needed. I got a sample when I ordered a Nosferatu sample to fill up a sample box. The lilac nosferatu perfume was what I was looking for but wow did Black Salt come to the top. I like it very nearly as much as Nosferatu. It doesn't have the lilac but the salty seaweed petrichor heavy scent of Black Salt with the added floral notes that isn't feminine is so good! I live in the Seattle area and go kayaking in the sound and hiking in the mountains all the time. Black Salt smells like the sea, misty stony beaches, the rain in the mountains, the last bloom of october tea roses in the yard. Wonderful. It lasts a long time on me too, a lot stronger and longer than Nosferatu, and Black Salt isn't limited edition and it's a very close second to Nosferatu just without the lilac.

I got it today! I really really love it! It doesn’t hit that gothic point for me but I definitely really enjoy it and it’s very summery. I’ve only had it on for about 30 minutes but the lime has stayed strong. The salt comes in with a little bit of a sting but it’s enjoyable. It smells like a margarita lol. It’s very fruity but I can still smell the salt. Tiny bit of black pepper, maybe a little bit of the jasmine and rose. Tiny bit of petrichor. No seaweed. In the best way, it smells like a celebrity fragrance lol. I will probably wear it a lot this summer! If you like fruit this is for you but it’s not very unique or like I was expecting! Maybe it will change over the course of wearing it. SAFE BLIND BUY!

The first time smelling this perfume immediately reminded me of Santa Cruz. I have long associated eucalyptus with trips there. The scent of the coast coming in from the driver's window and redwood forests through the passenger side as you're driving up the 1. It also evokes driving through the marine layer on a particularly early drive before the sun has burned it all off. I don't get many dark qualities from it, perhaps other than a clandestine adolescent bonfire down on the beach. Not as many d*mn vampires as you'd expect in Santa Carla. I never thought I'd be drawn to marine/mineralic scents. Oud Minerale opened me up to the possibility. This one convinced me. It's dripping with memories.

The first perfume where I can ~actually~ smell the salt! I'm still deciding whether I want a full bottle, but I definitely like it a lot! To me, it smells like sea water hitting the black rocks on a volcanic beach, this is a very well done marine fragrance. Also, eucalyptus is actually not offensive here at all, and I normally cannot stand eucalyptus scent. Update: after walking around and smelling it on myself for a while, I have come to the conclusion that I love it and I want a full bottle for sure. The salt in this is absolutely addictive... Update #2: I bought a full bottle of this, and this is the best marine scent ever done. Period.

I am DEEPLY in love. Briny, musky, a hint green. I dread the day my sample runs out but I can't stop wearing this. Extremely realistic misty ocean cliffside or sunken pirate ship, which I couldn't love more. This is 100% what Will Turner smelled like when he was soaked in seawater from the Dutchman. On some people I can see how this is hard to wear, but for my fellow green and aquatic scent girlies this is shockingly wearable. I even got a compliment from a coworker who has a very basic "clean girl" vibe, which left me very pleasantly surprised.

I think this is what Kramer's "the beach" fragrance would be like. Musky and briny, it's a very uncompromising and aggressive aquatic fragrance - reminds me of in essence of Diptyque Philosyko's layered photorealistic concept. I think the marketing for this is a miss though, it seems more masculine in its personality than other heretic perfumes. The idea of an aquatic or beachy goth is just as outrageous as the idea of an Australian goth - "I'm so dahk and tweested!"

Too beautiful.... I fell for you, you fell for me Laying on the edge of the sea...... Encapsulates my mood most of the day. comforting. Sitting infront of an ocean and watching the waves crash by yourself A very calming solitude vibe... Lime is there with the pepper and has undertones of black or earl Grey tea and dry down of amber. Very strong eucalyptus so you have to be in the mood for this one. Otherwise it will be purely medicinal

This is a great scent. Loved it. over the course of wearing, it went from a more standard, seaside aquatic scent, with the pepper and eucalyptus, to a perfectly briney undertone. lovely earthiness coming through with the seaweed and petrichor. Something about that read as almost... “sluggish” to me? projects wonderfully and settles into the skin well. would definitely buy a full bottle.

Black Salt reminds me of a warmer, more citrussy version of Salt & Pepper by Precious Liquids. It's sexy and summery, an immediately likable scent for me. It's fresh but has depth and intrigue. A scent to sneak around at night on the beach with your lover after gin & tonics at the bar. Aged seaweed in a good way.

This might be one of my favorite perfumes I have ever tried! It is magical, dark, oceanic, and soooo beautiful. The florals almost give a watermelon vibe to it. It is the most perfect moody salted rose scent, with cold and bitter tidal waves crashing in the background. I am obsessed!

I got it through their beach goth sample set. Not only does it smell good but it has lasted a good 7 to 8 hours on me. For an aquatic scent thats really impressive to me, reminds me of getting out of the water with seaweed covering you all over like a siren rising out of the water.

I’ve sampled maybe 12 others from Heretic, and this one actually performs! While marine/aquatics are not my typical genre, I really enjoy Black Salt. It’s giving killer (unisex) pirate vibes in the best way. Would make for an amazing summer signature fragrance.

An absolute standout aquatic. Cold, briny sea salt and dark mineral water grounded by that signature, resinous Heretic labdanum base. Has a rich, musky warmth underneath the ocean air that keeps it from being a generic aquatic. Deep, atmospheric, and addictive.

This perfume is completely unique in my collection. A dark aquatic, so addictive. I usually reserve aquatic scents for summer but this is great for all year round. Moody, refreshing, beautiful.

Sea salt, black pepper, eucalyptus, citrus fruit, florals. This smells like I would imagine a mermaid or merman might smell on a wintry breach. Very relaxing, surprisingly enough.

I love this! Wore it to the emergency dental hospital. Lovely & comforting, wintery scent.

Testing blind, this opened with a broad, almost expansive floral presence before relaxing and breathing out, letting a faint sweetness emerge while a warm, subdued, slightly funky note added just a bit of edge. While the opening initially leaned feminine, it ultimately reflected more fluidity, gradually turning warmer, more powdered, and distinctly unisex as the day went on. For most of the day, it settled into a warm—honestly dry—soft floral with just a touch of powdery funkiness lingering beneath. Looking at the notes now, the eucalyptus stands out as the most prominent element, something I clearly didn't pick up on, perhaps interpreting it as a mix of other, nonexistent notes. Of the actual notes you can pick out facets of black pepper, jasmine, and Turkish rose—especially in the opening—along with a hint of salt and labdanum, yet the overall impression really leans into a petrichor-like quality. Notably absent, at least to my nose, are the citrus elements like lime and tangerine, as well as water lily and seaweed. While others describe this as more of a summery fragrance, I don’t quite experience it that way. It feels warmer and more intimate than it does salty or sunlit, making it better suited for cool summer nights and fall days. With more citrus, it might have leaned brighter and more traditionally “sunny,” though that would likely come at the cost of its namesake “black salt” being lost. Is longevity is strong and projection sits at a moderate level, though at its current price point, it still feels a bit on the pass side.

For me at least this one really comes to life on your skin. On paper the petrichor-seaweed dry down isn't as prominent. On my skin this dries down into what I can only imagine is what the skin of a siren would smell like. It has a subtle briny muskiness to it that is only revealed after peering through the seaweed. I am not the biggest fan of the opening notes however. They are very bright and can be vibrissae-singeing at times. I like to imagine it as a flash of lightning over rocks, but it is still a bit too bright for my tastes. This lasted about 4 hours on my skin, with the base notes lingering ever so slightly for longer. Overall if you want a dark marine scent this is a great choice - it truly does evoke imagery of being on the beach alone during a thunderstorm. But do not expect this to be all doom and gloom as the top citrus notes will light up the sky for the first 20 minutes of your stay.