Gothic I Perfume Oil

I wanna smell like... Daily driver numero dos (though Roman Numeral I in this case). Thirty-something years smelling things. Twenty-something years smelling things in the beauty industry professionally and playfully. Five years ago I found my first instant signature. Five days ago I found my second instant signature. There's mirepoix, soffritto, holy trinity. The bases in which innumerous dishes are built upon. Why? Because they work. Rooted in deep history as flavor profiles that create the bones for so many delicious things. This is Gothic I. It's not trying to be anything it is not. But it is forthright and well-crafted, seamless, necessary, balanced, and foundationally divine in its simplicity. There's a reason its cult-like following is loyal. It's not everyone's cuppa. It has no desire to be. But those that love it, wear it. It never wears them.

I fell in love with Gothic I the moment I smelled it. I didn't have to think about it or try it multiple times to get the hang of it. I dabbed it on and, whoosh, a rush of instant pleasure. Historically, I've never sought out patchouli-first perfumes. But Gothic I's a great example of how patchouli, when combined with the right materials, can be elegant, even romantic. Here, it's mixed with a big dose of vanilla, and the result feels like dark magic. It's timeless, eternal, and also lush, thick, and sweet. I might have to start saving up for a FB. Edit: I wore Gothic I last night and want to update my impressions. This is a scent for people who like very sweet, dense vanillas. No airy notes here. It's a simple, linear perfume that distinguishes itself by pushing vanilla into deep, almost dank territories. Not a safe blind buy for most vanilla-lovers.

I can't get enough of this fragrance. Both the oil and EDP are very good, but the oil wins out for me. It's deeper and richer, stronger on the patch. The patchouli/vanilla combo is perfectly blended. This is a sweet, deep patchouli, reminds me of the oils I used to wear in the 80's. I smell like a patchouli cake. I just bought a full rollerball and while I agree the price is kind of outrageous for such a small amount, a dab or two is all it takes, so I know this will last me a very long time and I can smell it on my skin the next day. Highly recommend sampling this if you love patchouli.

Not my personal favourite of the Loree Rodkin Gothic series. But I love that the collection are all ‘gothic’ in different ways. Gothic I evokes ‘gothic’ in the sense of discovering an old, dusty, ornate wooden jewellery box in an abandoned attic, lined with decaying crimson velvet. It opens to reveal a carefully curated collection of antique curiosities: totems, old coins, small bones, jewels, and tarnished silver jewellery. Definitely haunted. I smell dusty/mildewy patchouli and woods on top of a warm spiced savoury vanilla base. P.s. I don’t think the mouldy sort of notes are particularly offensive compared to other fragrances like Tank Battle by Lush. In G. I, they’re more subtle and nostalgic.

I just bought this oil. I am a bit confused, but why is it so expensive? It is basically same scent, which is used in those hippie shops, where they sell bags made of hemp fabric and all other hippie stuff. If you have money, look for something else. If you do not have money, go to one of those hippie shops and get the same oil for at least 1/10 of the price of this one.

This review is for the oil version 5/2020. While researching this fragrance I had some difficulty deciphering the reviews between the edp and the oil. It seemed the edp is more vanilla than patchouli, but this varies among reviewers. I'm wearing the oil right now. As with any oil it doesn't jump off the skin. I can confirm that it is definitely not vanilla dominant. The opening is rather a boozy, kinda plastic smell. It reminds me of Pi from Givenchy. I guess you could call this vanilla, but it's more of a burnt marshmallow smell. There is also a patchouli in the background. It's not head shop patchouli. It's more grown up than that. I can definitely understand the "goth" name. It has a really haunting smell to it. It's not somewhat that you will immediately be reminded of something else. At least not anything in my collection(200+) bottles. It's rather expensive for what it is. I would suggest sampling it before you buy it. That being said, if you have the money, and want to not smell like anyone else, then go for it. The uniqueness of it makes it quite interesting.

There are a lot of patchouli lovers, that may never try this unfortunately. It is the greatest cold weather patchouli fragrance out there. I tried many, when I was on the hunt for patch frags. The oil is richer and deeper than the spray. I have both. The bourbon vanilla is mostly what makes this so special.