Arachne
Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab

I love spiders: In my apartment I have a “pet” spider that's black and flat and as big as my hand (and I can easily palm a basketball). I've even learned to check the shower before I get in because I almost drowned her (him?) once and that would have been sad. The locals call them house spiders. I don't think my spider is the type that builds webs… it's mainly the type that hides and pounces on cockroaches. Arache the fragrance is probably more inspired by the spiderweb than by the spider itself. It is light and wispy – transparent. At first I get the (all too familiar with BPAL) bubblegum accord that I dislike immensely but fortunately it doesn't last very long. The fragrance becomes a soft herbal green / floral combination that retains a bit of the sweetness leftover from the bubblegum, and it basically stays that way for a respectable time until the drydown brings out a gentle wood. The drydown seems quite short lasting to me, but I suppose that is appropriate for a fragrance as light and subtle as this. I don't understand the purpose of that bubblegum note in any of the many bubblegum fragrances I've encountered with the possible exception of Etat Libre d'Orange's Encens et Bubblegum, but it certainly is popular. Still, I like this fragrance: As light as it is, it's very pleasant. It's a little bit ethereal, a tad edgy, and truly unisex. It has delicate sillage and limited longevity.