Forking Paths

This whole thing started with a bad review. Sort of.

The Fragrance Philosopher posted a review of one of my releases. He liked the scent, but he thought the price was too high. I hear that fairly often and usually just let it go, but for some reason this time I wanted to say something. So I messaged him. I just explained what goes into these things: what the materials actually cost, how hard some of them are to source, and why I won't cut corners on them.

I figured that would be the end of it. Instead he wrote back and said he got it. He understood, and that was kind of the start of everything.

After that he started buying a lot of our releases, and he kept posting reviews that were really kind. Somewhere in there he stopped being a reviewer I was nervous about and became a friend.

Eventually I'd been thinking about it long enough that I just asked him if he wanted to collaborate on a release with me.

He was so happy. You could feel it through the messages.

I didn't want to just hand him something finished and ask what he thought. I wanted him in it as much as possible. So I asked what his favorite notes were and what he wanted to be the main players. He said mango, fir, and orris.

On paper that's a weird combo. Juicy tropical fruit, cold evergreen, and powdery iris don't exactly sound like they would work together. But the longer I thought about it, the more I wanted to try it.

Then he designed the label too, colorway and all. When I saw it I knew we'd nailed it. The colors looked beautiful and fit the scent perfectly.

So I got to work and made the best blend I could. The mango is ripe and golden, the fir cuts through it with that sharp, resinous chill, and the orris smooths it all out. I sent him a sample and waited.

He loved it. Really loved it. As a perfumer, that's the reaction you hope for, and getting it from him made it even better.

So that's Forking Paths. A complaint about price turned into a friendship, a collaboration, and a bottle we're both proud of.

Top Notes
Mango
Bergamot
Clary Sage

Heart Notes
Fir Absolute
Magnolia
Orris Butter
Rose
Clove

Base Notes
Papua Oud
Cedarwood 
Jadewood 
Patchouli
Black Hemlock