Anarchist A-

Picked this up a few months ago, I liked it but I couldn't really figure it out. At first I could smell something like a hot summer afternoon walking down an unpaved, wooded trail, you drop your bag and what was a fresh pile of cash/change in the bottom of your cool purse has turned into a waxy sticky mess when you realize the ball pen busted all over a rock, covered in ink (your loose change is coated in some bug spray or sunscreen) and the only way to retrieve your valuables is to cover yourself in ink in the baking sun. I get it now, (Italy) I can see the woman she is the devil wearing Prada, she has red patent leather pumps on and is walking through her lush green courtyard to her convertible. Her clothes smell like fresh, clean linens, the disaster struck after she meticulously put herself together for the day. After realizing the ink has not only made a mess of the innards of her expensive bag, in a shuffle she sees it is all over her shoes, and she has began to sweat. She calls for help. Her driver runs towards the courtyard with a bottle of sparkling water, the mistress grabs the bottle and dumps it on her shoes, she snatches his handkerchief and proceeds to start rubbing in a frenzied effort to rid herself of the "filth." She is notorious to arriving to board meetings a little tipsy. Flustered, she orders her driver to pour her a drink as she urges him inside, following closely behind, covered in ink, sweat, and "holy water" or her guilty attempt to absolve her sins. As she makes it inside, she downs the whiskey she was given and grabs her black patent pumps instead and orders for another shot. She finds a plump white cotton towel and does her best with the ink on her hands and bag. She knows she will be late, she did her best to clean up, but her eyes are now bloodshot, and the powder she used to try to freshen up with mixed with her damp mascara and sweat. They head out. And this is what she smells like.

I love this one! At first, it strangely reminds me of a Bic pen, but that impression disappears into something far more evocative. It smells exactly like the church I grew up in. This isn't warm incense or golden candlelight. It's cold. Stone floors after rain. Holy water. Melted candle wax. The faint smell of a priest's robes as he walks past. Fresh skin. Clean sweat. Winter air drifting through an old building. When I wear it, I'm back at a long Easter Mass. I'm a child again, sitting at the end of a wooden pew while dusk slowly settles outside. The stained-glass windows throw muted colours across the stone walls as the priest delivers his sermon. Everything is still. Quiet. Almost unnervingly so. Then another image appears. An empty room with faded yellow walls. Bare except for a chair. Cold enough that every sound lingers. It isn't frightening, but it carries the same strange solitude as a confessional, somewhere between sanctuary and isolation. That unsettling emptiness is what makes this fragrance so compelling. I showered wearing it, and I could still smell it on my skin the following day. It eventually melts into a soft skin scent, but it refuses to disappear completely, as if it wants to stay close rather than announce itself. I've never smelled another fragrance quite like this. It's clean without being soapy, sacred without smelling overtly religious, nostalgic without becoming sentimental. Haunting, contemplative, and quietly beautiful. One of my favourites from the house.

There's no doubt that the notes are there for 1. Shock Value and 2. Telling of a story. And look where it's got me. You cannot help but be intrigued. You WANT to try this. Job done, I must say. Bizarre notes and marketing aside, this is a creatively crafted scent, and the creator's honest attempt at the craft does come through. The first 3-5 mins is a little confusing. I could not detect any note other than ink. In a few minutes, a boozy freshness comes in. You know the warmth you feel inside when you down a shot of whiskey or tequila, and your nostrils dilate and your brain feels the burn? That. Warm, but fresh. 🥃 Then comes a phase where this smells like wet concrete/marble. To imagine it, think of the Holy Water Stoup or Font in an old church. Water and Stone. This is a very unique smell that most Christians will be aware of. ✝️ After that a calm antique wood and frankincense takes over, and it stays there for the rest of the journey. 3.0 out of 5? Clearly mostly by people who've never tried it. This is artistic, not mass pleasing. Give it a try, and you'll weirdly long for more. My Ratings: Scent: 9/10 🎖️ Uniqueness: 10/10 🎖️ Packaging: 9/10 🎖️ Longevity: 9/10 🎖️ Sillage: 8/10 Price: 7/10 Smelly Cat on YouTube

I had the opportunity to test this on my skin at a fragrance swap and man oh man is it gorgeous. Honestly, I tried Anarchist Antichrist for the novelty. I did not expect to enjoy it, especially because my prior experience sampling Empty Wishes Well was underwhelming, but here I am writing a positive review. I must have smelled over 50 niche perfumes today, and this one was my favorite. Anarchist Antichrist is surprisingly wearable, at least on my skin. It is warm and inviting while maintaining uncanny and offputting qualities that make me do a double-take and come back for more. Don't ask me how or why the combination of maple-tinged whiskey, the slightly burnt/animalic scent of ink, and the abrasive synthetic smell of plastic is appealing because I'm a bit baffled myself. All I know is that I can earnestly see myself wearing this on a regular basis and would like to add a full bottle to my collection one day, if not for the Toskovat scalpers and rising prices. Perfume is a hell of a drug.

Plastic, money, ink, church-y incense woody. The whiskey isn't coming to the front for me. I am trying to decide if the snow is of the naughty variety or if it's actual fallen snow. I do smell the naughty kind, it's very distinctive. The closest thing I can compare it to is opening a bag of quinoa for the first time. I am getting a note of polyester kinda fabric, I'm assuming this is priest clothes. I love how people are getting so annoyed with this aspect of it. Use your brain. Think about fabrics that a priest could be wearing. Close your eyes, and sense if you smell it. If you don't, it doesn't mean it's imaginary. We all are having different experiences with our senses. Anyhow, this smells really good on me and I'm sure it will smell even better on my husband eeeee :)