Black Phoenix Scent of the Day: Chaos!

purchased and reviewed by ThoraSTooth

With the current interest in Chaos Theories, I thought I'd dig this one out of my scent box and test it again.  I haven't worn it in about five years, I think.  I have long thought that a run of Chaos Theories is a good way for the Lab to clean out its small quantities of oils they bought for a specific scent or to test.  Certainly I've rarely smelled a classic Chaos Theory that has recognizable Lab accords in it.  The later Chaos Theories with their bases in a particular scent or ingredient are naturally more recognizable although they're pretty random too.  But this one is pure unadulterated randomosity.

Chaos Theory IV:  Edge of Chaos, Bottle CXXVIII is a bottle I received new from the Lab.  (They're always numbered, which is very important if you get a decant of something you love and want to track down more of it.)  In the bottle it smells a touch green and soapy, like evergreens or bitter dark herbs plus lilies or muguet.  There's a touch of sweetness beneath, like a meadow floral.  There's also a strange whiff of something that might be watermelon rind.

As it dries down it warms up.  The soapy impression goes away and something more like a resin emerges.  There's also a creamy, almost vanilla impression.  I'm gonna call that benzoin, just on a hunch.  The meadow flower, fruity, and herbal notes are still there too.  This is not one of the meadow flowers that gives me a headache, but I can't identify it either.  It's not clover, but it might be heather.  Meanwhile, the fruit is headed toward a sugary, cooked fruit candy territory.  And an aquatic note pops up too.  It's utter Chaos all up in there!

Later as it matures it gets sweeter and softer, all meadow floral and something grassy over the thing I'm calling benzoin.  In that phase it reminds me a bit of Khajuraho or Machu Picchu.  Eventually it turns to a soft single note, a grassy-floral impression that reminds me of Tavern of Hell.  Hey, maybe it's tobacco flower?

Testing Chaos Theories can be a lot of fun, especially if you share them with a community so other people can appreciate the comedy, tragedy, serendipity of it all.

Note from Jammies:

If you are interested in the Chaos Theory scents, you can read about and order them at the Black Phoenix website.