Chelsea Staircase

This was my favorite of all of Thin Wild Mercury's sample set offerings, and I will be buying myself some. I was pretty confident I would like this scent profile, although I was scared of the wrought iron note as I'm normally put off by metallic perfumes. Plus I hate how my hands smell after touching a tarnished silver antique. So to purposefully put a perfume like this on myself...? Luckily, the iron note is pleasant. It hangs out in the background but does not overpower the rest of the notes. It's evocative to those who know it's there, but doesn't obnoxiously announce its presence to others. I've read comments about this being sickeningly sweet. I was concerned about this, because I dislike Lush's Supermilk and Chelsea Morning perfumes and didn't want Chelsea Staircase to fall along those lines. I'm glad to report that I don't see any resemblance. It's super cozy without being saccharine sweet. It's not a strong scent, and I think it's very wearable and would not offend passers by. To me, this perfume is very autumnal. Honeyed tea; watching dust float suspended in sun rays through casement windows; a denim jacket with the sleeves rolled up, tortoiseshell clips in your hair. I've become increasingly disillusioned with brands that create perfumes with funky fantasy notes or other gimmiky marketing that overpromises and underdelivers. Thin Wild Mercury really does deliver. I'm really happy to say that I've been super impressed with Cathleen's work and am excited to keep getting to know these scents better.

First I have to say, this frangrancier is extremely good at evoking a feeling of a memory. As a synthesiate, I deeply approve. This is what it evokes for me: In the 90s my Aunt wore Elizabeth Arden Sunflowers. She wasn’t a New Yorker, she was a petite graphic artist with an esthetic then described as “yuppie”. She lived in a high rise condo in Atlantic Highlands New Jersey. In the summers I visited her and donning linen shorts, she taught me how to use colored pencils to illustrate flowers. The warm smell of heated metal permeated from her balcony and chamomile tea drenched in honey sat on her kitchen island. There were other older high school girls who wore this kind of scent. They were the blonde, sundress wearing it girls who were too nice to hate. The kind who had many friendship bracelets. The kinds that had many colors of thread and never got dirty. I will wear it on days I want to smile and remember the sunnier sides of the street. For me the main notes of this are chamomile, honey and oak moss. The citrus brightens but is covered in nostalgia of the more grounded notes. There is a warmth emanating of earthy metal. Thank you to the creator for this capsulation.

The most unique tea scent i've ever smelled. Quite possibly my white whale honeyed lemony tea perfume i've searched high and low for. Honey isn't even listed as a note, and every honey note i've ever smelled in perfume smells like cat pee to me, so idk if i'm just insane but oh my GOD this is good. It's like, a light fresh bright perfume but for artsy cool people that are a little brooding occasionally? The canvas and sunflower and wrought iron just add the coolest atmospheric surroundings to the star of the show. I want a full bottle desperately but as an LA native I need to prioritze getting a full size from the LA collection first. But i WILL be back for this queen

This is one of my favorites from the brand and I really do think it has to do with skin chemistry. The opening of this is straight up fresh brewed lemon tea on my skin, super heavy and dense. I pick up the hot iron immediately. It smells hot, as if the tea is still steeping. The dry down turns into this sunny smell, with subtle notes of paper. It's as if you're watercoloring while sunbathing. This is not a safe buy, and it's not for everyone.

One of very few FSBs that I’ve purchased! As an artist, former-Manhattanite, and lover of Earl Grey & antiques, this is such a perfect, unique, and inspiring scent! It’s definitely a wild one though, and not a safe blind buy with the strong tea & metallic notes, but it was my favorite fragrance after purchasing Thin Wild Mercury’s NYC sample set. This will be my “day-to-night art event” go-to fragrance!