Stairway To Heaven

I’m really enjoying this modern take on aldehydes! I received a sample from my favorite niche perfumery, Indigo Perfumery, and later bought a FB. Although Igsoltek can draw associations with other earlier works, these are too obscure to my untrained nose. In the universe of perfumes with which I’m acquainted, I think this perfume is very unique, if not boundary pushing with the overt aldehydic quality which isn’t so popular nowadays. The closest approximation I could draw to this perfume would be Chanel No 5 Eau Premiere. As much as I love No 5 EP, there is a melancholic nuance to it. Stairway to Heaven is lighter, brighter and happier, but with depth brought by the vanilla, patchouli and incense (these notes are not detected individually; this is an abstract blend), as opposed to a woody base in No 5 EP. The perfumeurs’ attempt to conjure “whiteness” was a resounding success in my view. The overall feeling I get while wearing this beauty is meditative, comforting and uplifting. The perfume is a play of opposites—warm and cold, fresh and deep. The opening is cool, bright and fizzy with a touch of citrus in a soft, aldehydic burst. As the fragrance develops, soft florals, and warm vanillic musks bring a sense of comfort. The interplay between warm and cool exists through the duration of the development/drydown. Another fragrance that comes to mind is TF’s Metallique, which differs greatly in that Metallique has two distinct and somewhat disconnected stages—aldehydic opening followed by a vanillic drydown. Stairway to Heaven is smoother with seamless transitions, less synthetic, and the aldehydes are felt throughout. Simply lovely!

THEE absolute best aldehyde scent on the market. Aldehydes get a bad rap due to their overdose in Chanel #5. They are notorious for being super soapy and a difficult note for many. Here, they are not soapy, they are effervescent, light, fresh, and give the fragrance a fizzy, bubbliness that makes my nose tingle a bit when I smell it up close. This is not fruity, nor is it floral; it is citrusy, musky, aldehydic with a little sweetness from the red berries and a super soft vanilla. The heliotrope is here to smooth out any harshness, creating a dynamic textural element of both being fizzy and soft. The ambroxan with the white musk create a very modern profile and I would classify this in its own category. I also foresee me using this to layer with other perfumes, especially light aquatic florals or other citrus perfumes. If you're in the market for a unique, fresh musk perfume, give this a sample. You can sample this from Parfum Exquis in the USA.

This is my signature scent (especially in warmer weather). I dress mostly Victorian gothic so I don’t know how well this fragrance pairs with my overall aesthetic but I love it just the same. It smells ethereal and almost otherworldly. It’s unlike any other perfume I’ve ever smelled, it’s very abstract. There’s a sweet strawberry-like note from the red berries, but it’s mostly aldehydes at first. It’s extremely fizzy and quite fresh with a hint of citrus. I live in a quite humid climate and it wears well in hot humid weather. It also has a coldness to it from all the aldehydes that makes it work equally well in winter. The gunpowder note isn’t extremely prominent but there is a slight smokiness in the dry down from that and the incense. It lasts fairly long on me and projects enough that I’ve gotten compliments on my fragrance after wearing it a few hours. I want to gatekeep this fragrance but I also don’t want it to ever be discontinued.

I just love this one. My fav type of clean girl fragrance. It’s somehow wistful, mysterious and a touch remote. It’s a cool (but sunny) windy late autumn day and this is so comforting. Not heavy or thick.... It’s like you’ve been meditating in a cedar lined room on a mountain top complete with huge windows. The windows are open and the fine gauze white cotton sheers are dancing in the wind and you’re seeing the periwinkle-blue-fading-to-lilac tinted skies in the far distance. Feels like there’s snow in the air but there is sun on your skin. Intriguing, intelligent, light weight in texture, yet very present. Expensive smelling yet not overpowering. I am a big fan of the fine grained aldehydic opening and the metallic powdery mid. It’s lightly sweet and slightly feminine leaning. In the direction of Tom Ford Metallique (strip out the thick vanilla and apply it in watercolour) or Mizensir Elixir de Musc...

Unique freshie for sure. Sweet and ethereal, STH transports me to a mountaintop on a bright sunny day with a crisp breeze. I am surrounded by fluffy white clouds and fresh blooms while I sip a handcrafted orange/rose soda. 🍊⛅ My heart wants to call this the adult equivalent of cotton candy. Included is the scent of the industrial metal spinner the candy was spun from. This is so beautifully blended. I do get a pretty hard metallic punch from the mix of aldehydes and gunpowder in the beginning, but that initial blast quickly blends down within minutes. I've found my signature scent in this. I cannot stay away and am planning to get a backup bottle soon. I do recognize this may not be a scent that's quite for everyone, but I don't have a single reservation here. Happy to have found this gem! Stairway to Heaven will always have a place (or two) in my collection!