After a couple of weeks of nice, safe, fresher scents reviewed (Daddy Yankee and Blenheim Bouquet), I’m going to do a pivot and profile both a fragrance and house that specializes in perfume as an experience… for better or worse. Don’t worry though, today is the “better” option!
Bruno Fazzolari has been creating scent experiences since 2013, with his latest release being released in 2019. He specializes in blending “off the beaten path” notes to create settings and evoke emotions. Originally, Fazzolari didn’t even intend to start a business. He just wanted to create fragrances to pair with his art, something inspired by the fact that he’d experienced scent as color. But as with most unexpected life detours, the scents he created gained a cult following, he quit his job as an art professor, and now we have FZOTIC. With a side of blanket or art print. If you like.
Today I’m profiling Lampblack, the fragrance that started it all and set tongues wagging so many years ago. Let’s take a look at the note breakdown.
Lampblack Notes
Top: Black pepper, sweet orange
Heart: Grapefruit
Base: Cypriol oil, vetiver, benzoin
So how did Lampblack fare with me?
Verdict
I freaking love it. Cypriol oil is the star of the show here, blended masterfully to give you that inky, fuel note that blasts the citrus, pepper, and vetiver notes into orbit. This is a worldly, earthy scent that says “I’ve seen things, and I’ve done things you could only imagine.”
To be frank, it smells like something out of time. I know there are comparisons to typewriters or late-night writing, but for me, this goes further than that. Lampblack is an entirely different, and fictional, era. Specifically, this is giving me some serious steampunk vibes. Yeah, sure, aeronauts don’t really exist. But if they did, I would bet money they’d smell like Lampblack. Zesty and full of spark with a trail of fuel waiting to be ignited. Projection isn’t quite beast mode, but it’s nothing to sniff at. Sillage is pleasant and assertive, and overall the longevity is in the 5-6 hour range for me.
It really isn’t hard to see why his fragrances developed a cult following, especially when this is your first, other-worldly enticement. I love everything about this… save one small quibble.
Well, not exactly small. I’m talking the price tag. Lampblack is a well-crafted and expertly blended fragrance, and its price tag reflects as much. You’re looking to drop $125 for a 30 mL bottle of this juice. You read that right, a 30 mL bottle. So yeah, a bit of a yikes on the sticker there, particularly when I can get a whole ass throw blanket from them for just $25 more!
Also, Lampblack is not going to be the type of fragrance you reach for every day. This is an experience, and an art piece, reserved for special occasions or if we’re ever allowed out in crowds again, steampunk conventions. So you’ll really need to decide if the price tag is worth the art to you. That said, you can also pick up a 1.5 mL sample for $7 to at least try it out.
Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide what your budget can handle and if Lampblack is worth the cost for you. But you can sample in the meantime, as well as peruse the other options in FZOTIC.
Stay tuned this fall when I take a look at Corpse Reviver… and how I think it more than lives up to its namesake. *shudder*
The Fandomentals “Fragdomentals” team base our reviews off of fragrances that we have personally, independently sourced. Any reviews based off of house-provided materials will be explicitly stated.
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