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.

A 'beach' fragrance with no coconut? Cool. A modern fresh/green/aquatic-leaning perfume that DOESN'T smell like vinegar plastic? Heck yes. This is like if CK One had a weird cousin. Instead of androgynous as in 'thin white marketable model from the 90s', this is androgynous as in 'the sea has no gender and I'm both scared and aroused.' The sexy dolphin guy from The Shape of Water probably smells like this. Still, I don't like lot of perfumes and I'm planning on 100% wearing this in the summer just to do normal summer things. For all the weirdness, it also smells like sitting on a city patio and drinking margs while NOT being a sexy sea monster. Very wearable and nice.

Not what I was expecting! I actually picked up way more petrichor than sea salt. It is very strong initial spray. To me, it didn't smell aquatic at all initially. More smokey, earthy, and a mysterious spunky green either from the seaweed or petrichor. Smokey, a little salty, peppery, and a dirty green that lasts for hours. Very unique and different! Few hours later, I definitely smell eucalyptus and a bit of salt. Feels less brackish water as many described and more like a haunted field of fresh grass lol

I was very disappointed by this perfume when I first got it. I love Heretic perfumes, and I felt let down by this one. I was hoping for something darker, more unique, and stranger, but it came across as cheerful and somewhat generic. I was so disappointed that I put it away. Two months later, I'm revisiting it in June, with the warmer weather, and it's starting to grow on me. I can smell the lime and pepper in the opening, and the dry down has more depth than I initially expected.

Petrichor, salt, hints of eucalyptus, and a heavy dry down of rose. Normally I HATE anything rose, but this is surprisingly pretty inoffensive to me as it smells like more of a "photorealistic" freshly-picked rose, rather than anything synthetic. Definitely giving "beach goth" vibes as advertised! Great for hot summer weather which is surprising for a fairly floral-heavy perfume

Absolutely delicious at first sniff. A blast of salty citrus closely followed by wet earth and leaves. Makes me feel like a charismatic lighthouse keeper. Unfortunately the dry down on me gets a little musty, which I suspect is from the labdanum. Even so, the first hour is so good, I'm going to keep wearing it.

to me the opening was like salt water and cinnamon. I suspect the cinnamon was how my nose was interpreting the dried citrus notes and the black pepper. really alluring perfume that made me feel like I was walking around a beach town going downhill in the off season but in a good and sexy way

I dig this. Bury me in sea salt. This is EXTREMELY marine, I mean 1000000000%. Smells like driving around La Jolla with the windows down, or strolling through Sea World as a child. Extremely realistic salt/ocean/brine. I think you'll either love it or hate it.

Fresh, marine and salty with the florals lightly showing up. Heretic has my fave watery notes. this is great for year-round wear and lasts several hours with good sillage.

At first I didn’t care for this, but about an hour in I caught myself thinking—OH, WAIT. The dry down is where it truly shines.

Watching Pirates of the Caribbean while wearing this for a 4D experience.

Lighter marine with brighter fresh citrusy fruit... my initial reaction to spraying on skin was "This smells like a fizzy tiki drink". On dry down the florals and salty marine notes come through. Again it is like a refreshing fizzy bright citrus scent with undertones of florals and marine. I don't think it is dark or "black" per se, as its a bit of a mood booster just smelling it. Some people mention this having some "pirate" vibes. Its less "salty sea dog gulping rum" and more "tropical marooned sailor on a sunny day sitting in a hammock". Unisex and good for warmer weather, wear with your favorite hawaiian shirt or tropical themed dress and i'm sure you'll feel just right.

This is a very aquatic and green fragrance. To my nose, it smells like salty ocean air mixed with fresh grass, with a slight natural sweetness. It’s unusual and definitely not a mass-appealing scent. Perfect for summer, beach days, and hot weather. It feels fresh, outdoorsy, and different from typical “blue” fragrances. Performance is solid for this style. It lasts 8+ hours on my skin, with moderate projection. It won’t fill a room, but people close to you will notice it. Overall, it’s a cool and unique summer scent. Not for everyone, but if you like aquatic, green, and natural-smelling fragrances, you might like this one.

I ordered Nosferatu, and a sample of Black Salt came with it. Honestly better than I expected: salty and citrusy, but not too sharp on the nose, leans into the souerness of sea notes, on my skin. Really like the dry down. Wouldn't spend money on it, but that's just because I don't like smelling like the sea.

Not really the dark & damp beachy pacific northwest fantasy i was anticipating... all of the notes are enveloped by smoke. Smells like if you threw a subway sandwich in lava and the ingredients turned to ash & evaporated into the air. The opening scent is gorgeous though...

Warm, dry, floraly marine scent. Beachy, salty sea water that quickly evolves into photorealistic seaweed. A dash of ground pepper & floral petals gradually deliquesce into a pelagic algae wrack. 🌊🐚🏖

Light and marine, with a touch of green fruit and airy florals. Surprisingly sweet. I never would have come up with “black”. More like “peachy pink”.

Definitely an aquatic scent with heavy white florals. Very similar to many department store aquatic fragrances. Leans feminine.

Whoa. It smells very oceanic, even more than expected haha. I think it’s an interesting fragrance, it’s certainly rare to smell something this unapologetically photorealistic. That said I couldn’t wear it... It doesn’t smell like the beach to me, it smells like someone pulled a pirate ship from the bottom of the sea after hundreds of years, seaweed and barnacles and fish and all. It’s intense and so strongly bottom of the ocean that it makes me nauseous. Long lasting, which may or may not be a good thing. It’d certainly set a mood to watch a pirate themed movie or show, but eh. Wouldn’t wear, especially this far from the ocean (would really smell strongly out of place). Literally thirty minutes waiting on it to fade to where I can stand it, but I’m just going to have to go take shower. It’s cool that they created something’s so real, it’s just too real for my stomach to handle 😂.

Extremely unique, bitter, dry, and mineralistic eucalyptus. It dries down to an interesting marine-green skin scent with that dry sand and sunscreen smell. It definitely describes a "haunted beach." That said, I don't think I have the courage to wear this. I would describe its character as confusing and ontologically evil. Goth girls, go nuts.

In my original review I stated that the dry down was a lot better but honestly thank God heretic accepted a return on this it smells like a herbal eucalyptus medicine, like if someone from a distant village made a medicine of eucalyptus oil smoke ,salt , and dirt this is exactly what it smells like with a medicinal undertone. Absolutely horrible any marine I sense is overtones by the screeching medicinal from eucalyptus. Horrid.

I would have named the first part of this perfume Dirty Tide Pool, if we were keeping within Heretic’s naming practices, because the beginning of Black Salt has a pronounced rotting vegetation/ brackish salt water vibe to it. It doesn’t take long on the skin to shed that rank miasma though, with Black Salt freshening and starting to sweeten after about half an hour of wearing. Now the rose starts to come in, it’s a light and sweet rose; balanced by a pop of bright citrus and the salty marine aspects the perfume still has- all on a powdery soft labdanum base. In addition, I smell incense. The perfume gets friendlier and friendlier as time passes, fading away at the 7 hour mark. Only the beginning hour or so possesses any kind of really noticeable projection or sillage. The first half hour of Black Salt is challenging (though interesting) but I absolutely love its last couple skin scent hours. So I give it a solid like.

Something in the way the eucalyptus and black pepper play together in the opening blast made my brain think of eucalyptus incense. I was really intrigued. That impression went away fast and then the citrus plus black pepper ganged up with each other to make a slightly masculine spicy scent. The marine impression is here now. The citrus is not juicy, it's bitter and dry. My brain wants to make it licorice. It has more strength then most of Heretics scents I've tried. The masculine spice starts to settle down and some soft beachy flowers climb up from under the pepper. The florals start off very creamy and warm. I still haven't detected any salty notes. That marine note is gone and the creamy flowers continue to warm up with an undercurrent of mens black pepper cologne.

Ohh my goodness. I do find heretic perfumes.....tantalizing. That being said I do think they have some terrible scents. This is not one of those. The way this perfume catches your nose upon the first spray. So spicy but in a way that is almost cinnamon, but not as sweet, I think that how my nose is registering the black pepper. It’s very zesty and warm. Then it settles into a sweeter hit of eucalyptus and lime, and lily! I don’t get massive amounts of rose but it’s definitely there. This is such a sexy smell! I might order the full size! Overall 8.5/10

I didn't smell the oceanic, brackish water vibes that people were talking about the first time I sniffed this. I thought it smelled clean, sort of melon-y and herbal. But over time, as I've worn it more, I've started to feel like I am picking up the the salty seawater note. It's not funky, it's more like the cliffsides of a marble beach. There's something ancient about the smell. Maybe I will update the review when I find the words to describe this.

I really like this. I get lime, sea salt, and seaweed. I love it for summer. Not sure if it truly "goth" but it's a great summer scent and I do think it's a little different. Performance is better with this one than other scents I've tried from this house. Considering a FB! They've also got me with their marketing, I must admit. I like to *think* it smells like a beach goth.

Opening notes are sweet, astringent, tangerine, lime, watermelon. Excellent projection in the heat, lasts all day on skin and clothes. Turns into ocean, wind, seaweed, damp, like being on the beach by midnight seduced by sirens. Complexity: 4/5 Sillage: 5/5 Longevity: 5/5 Notes: 🌊🍊☀️🍉

My initial thought : this is womanity without that stale cigarette smoke opening. Intriguing but also reminiscent of the smell of absinthe or some form of spiced alcohol. (Maybe rum) very storybook style “pirate” coded.

Everyone says pirates but i immediately think Lost Boys. Nighttime on a beach boardwalk in California. Goth boy with a bit of a rockabilly style. Tattoos, salty skin and sea mist.

Definitely reminds me of Womanity or Aqua Sextius. You probably don’t need both. But very salty sea-like type of fragrance with a bit of sweetness making it perfectly unisex.

This is so stunning, absolutely perfect! Aquatic scents are so hit or miss, and there’s not as many options out there as there are for floral or gourmand lovers. So dreamy 🖤