Gothic I

I'll just say Gothic I is a very pleasant and lovely fragrance. I sampled this perfume years ago when it first launched. I recalled liking it a lot. So, I decided to purchase a sizable decant to give it a fair go. Wanted to see if Gothic I is as lovely as I recall it to be. And yes, my first thought when applying this is, "There are innumerable fragrances in this wheelhouse, or genre of perfumes and Lord knows I own a few." I thought, "Something separates Gothic I apart from the list of similar fragrances that are currently on the market...this is such wonderful stuff!" The opening is ALL patchouli with a whispery emergence of vanilla. I smell something very green and floral in the notes (someone here mentioned frangipani), which is what I think makes this perfume a standout amongst its competitors. As the fragrance develops on my skin, I clearly detect LOTS of pleasant, green patchouli. The dry down is loaded with woody base notes like sandalwood (thankfully NOT heavy amber). Gothic I is NOT a thick, choking, heavy, boozy, chocolate-leaning patchouli vanilla potion. The patchouli in this fragrance is feminine, ethereal, romantic and veil like, which are characteristics RARELY attributed to patchouli. There is an earthy, vegetal, green goodness that makes this fragrance special. Not overly spicy, not over-run with woody notes, or amber. This patchouli-forward fragrance is patchouli done right. I still think I "slightly" prefer "Fire At Will" over this fragrance because of the splendid mimosa note in FAW. While similar, Gothic I is a bit more moody and brooding than FAW. I would say Gothic's performance (silage and intensity) FAR out-performs Fire At Will. But in general, I love both fragrances! My husband LOVES this stuff on me. When I mentioned the price point @ approximately $140 for a 75ml bottle, husband said, "Is that a lot??" I did not get the usual, "You've got to be kidding me" reply. This perfume is lovely. 10/10

My #1 Patchouli frag, and in my top 5 for Winter, good for cooler days. Lucky Scent sent me a sample of the oil, but I ordered the 50 ml edp. It's deep, and mysterious. This is maybe a masterpiece. The very best frags blend contrasting notes or accords. Here it's done by blending the dark, buttery, sweet vanilla, with incredible aromatic, peppery spices. Patchouli and vanilla are a great old combo. But the way it's done here with Gothic I, is nuclear! I looked up Indian Patchouli; it is sweet and smoky. Most of the patch dominant frags I found, the patch was more green, and high pitched. This is more like, what I was always looking for; a sweet, earthy and smoky patch. It is more like the old hippy patchouli, but made to be very refined in a way. I thought I was done adding frags to my collection, but they got me with this one. I never associate color with a fragrance, but the smell of this really fits the color of the juice, dark burgundy. It is also Gothic, something smells ancient about it. It is supremely natural, organic smelling, without synthetics; very important for me. Some get more vanilla than Patchouli, but I see it as a patchouli frag. Maybe it's such a dark bourbon vanilla that I never smelled before, and it's making an accord with the sweet Indian Patchouli; Making me see it as a Patchouli, with a dark vanilla facet. PS: I am raising my rating to 9.75/10. Of over 400 reviews, this is one of the most unique and enjoyable fragrances I've experienced. The bourbon vanilla is so dark and buttery, and makes wonderful accords with the patch and spices. My Gothic I edp came in, and the fragrance is just like the oil, no less Patchouli, just lighter concentration. The oil is darker and more intense. I may like the the edp slightly better. It would be nice to have the intense oil as well, for Winter. The edp is more versatile, I am enjoying it now on a chilly, rainy day in May. Rating: 9.75/10 God bless. John 3:16

Loree Rodkin Gothic I (2013) is a totally unique vanilla fragrance. At least, in my opinion. I have a great breadth of vanilla scents. Vanilla is what I wear to settle in on a cold night at home. I find vanilla to be even more soothing than Lavender. I just love lavender too. I like the soft quality of 'Gothic'. In contrast, if I don't feel like messing around, I put on Montale Sweet Vanilla for a bolder Vanilla with only two notes--Vanilla and Apricot. Montale is really my favorite Vanilla overall. It is like 'Turbo' Vanilla but calms down to real beauty. To the Point: Loree Rodkin Gothic --- great use of Vanilla Pod and Madagascar Vanilla! The opening is subtle. The Vanilla is so natural and whispers quality. Maybe file under spices? There seems to be either Pear or Apple in the opening. Also, a wonderful, loamy, mushroom-like scent that smells like super fresh clean mushrooms at their peak. Maybe this is the 'Gothic' part where we are in the forest doing naughty ceremonies or something. Uh, What?! Despite the Indian Patchouli, this fragrance does not really pound the table with patchouli. Put this on and put it on heavy. It dries down on my flat of my arm to a point where it can barely be detected at four inches from the skin. Loree Rodkin Gothic I is superb. Natural, down to earth, and even sexy. It is not that cheap but worth every penny!!!!

I got a sample of Gothic I by Loree Rodkin from Lucky Scent and description there does it justice “a moody vanilla shrouded in a mist of light woods and patchouli. Sensuous and unrepentant. We picture long hair whipping in the wind, a search by candlelight and a man driven half mad by love. Still, for all of its gorgeous drama, we could wear this everyday. It has the luxuriant skin-caressing softness of a vintage silk velvet cape. Worn over nothing. Voluptuous and mesmerizing.” The Patchouli is a strong force – dirty, earthy and slightly medicinal. Some people have said this is rather sweet but it’s very dark and gothic to me. It’s mysterious with a slight incense smoke element. The Vanilla does sweeten it a bit once it dries down but the perfume still retains its character. It is quite spicy and I get frankincense from it. I must say I really like the dry down but it sometimes gives me headaches. It’s rich and heady. The ingredients smell of high quality and I think it’s well blended. It has heavy sillage and is long lasting - because of this I say it’s a night perfume and definitely keep it away from the office. It’s more suited to colder seasons, smells like an alternative shop and I think I might actually wear this when I feel like somewhat gothic. I might buy a bottle since the price has gone down so much.

Story time! When I was a kid and Sabrina the Teenage Witch was a TGIF staple (taking you guys way back!), Coty released a cheap little body spray called White Magic. It was a patchouli and vanilla scent that I bought for probably $5 at the grocery store and have hoarded for 20+ years because it was so, sooooo good! I spray it once a year- Halloween only- and it has become THE fall fragrance that my sisters and I love with the love that only comes with intense nostalgia. In the years since, I have tried to find more of this scent, but of course it was discontinued without a trace, so I’ve turned to finer fragrances in the hopes of finding my lost love in a different form. Here it is. It looks different, polished up with better packaging, and wow, has its worth appreciated, but this is the smell of fall that I would wear as a teen and young adult. This is the fragrance that made everyone say “wow, that perfume is amazing! What is it?” And I would be too embarrassed to tell them the name, so I would pretend I didn’t know! Gothic I, White Magic, whatever your mercurial name is, I love you.