Perfume Review! Darling Clandestine's /r/Hug of Death

By Unknown

Purchased

The affectionate /r/Hug of Death...just let Reddit love you, darnit!

Reddit is a popular content aggregation site where people convene in "subreddit" sections relating to common interests. Some of these sub sections can become quite large, and as it usually is the case with a mob, they can wield an awful lot of influence. It's not uncommon for a smaller, less-trafficked site on the internet to suddenly garner Reddit's interest and become "hugged to death" by the influx in traffic.

Evonne of Darling Clandestine created a self-fulfilled prophecy with her 2015 Valentine's Day collection, naming one of the new scents /r/Hug of Death... what did she expect?! The collection sold out almost instantly (under fifteen minutes) and people were ravenous for more. While the traffic didn't take down Etsy, it did wipe out her shop inventory in record time. (Luckily, for all disappointed parties, a later batch was put up for preorder.) Was the mad dash worth it?!

/r/Hug of Death

10mL glass bottle for $14.50 USD
Aged: 6 months

Intense black tea infused with a trio of fruits—strawberries, blackberries and sweet red apples—grounded with vetiver and ginger and tonka bean.

You might notice that this is a Valentine's Day release perfume. You might also notice that we're halfway through August. I left my bottle tightly sealed and tucked away in a dark box to age for six months. I've become really interested in observing how perfume oils age over time, especially since reviewing Haus of Gloi's Queen Mother 2013 last autumn. Would /r/Hug of Death still pack a punch?

I'm a bit embarrassed as a tea aficionado to admit that I'm not picking up any intense wallops of black tea. The first hour or two (and even cold sniff from the bottle) is all fruits. On my skin it actually smells like pomegranate. I eat a lot of pomegranate in the winter, and it leaves behind a distinct scent on my fingertips after separating the seeds. Although it's not listed as a note (strawberries, blackberries, sweet red apples) it seems far more distinguishable to me than any other fruit. In close second would be strawberries. There's no zippy bite of ginger or blackberry, mayyyyybe a whisper of ripe apples, but this is more of a berryfest.

I really like how /r/Hug of Death slowly unravels over the next few hours. Although vetiver is also listed on the ingredients list, something special must happen when it joins powers with tonka bean. The result is a smooth and creamy sweet treat, like berries and soft cream. The first few times I wore this perfume, I was convinced there were floral notes... I still kind of am, in a defiant sort of way. I swear the dry-down smells almost like lilies.

Duration: Most Darling Clandestine scents have awesome staying power. I'm not sure if it's because my bottle has aged, or if perhaps it's due to the blend itself. I have difficulty picking up any lingering scent after about 5-6 hours. It has low to moderate silage, so don't expect this to toss about the room.

Score: 4.5/5
I really love this perfume! It's flirty and feminine while being wholly appropriate for the office (my coworker commented and said I smelled really nice, hah!) - it's also very "safe" compared to some of the more unconventional DC scents. I think it would be extremely well-received by anyone foraying into the world of indie perfumes or make for a lovely "my first perfume" for a younger girl because it smells youthful but not juvenile.

Also, can I just take a moment to admire the bottles used for the Valentine's Day collection?

Isn't it regal? What majesty.

These things are so cute. If I wasn't worried about the sunlight breaking down my perfume, I'd be keeping these up on my dresser by my jewelry box. I know we're all about "what's inside is what counts!" with indie products, and I agree that a good formula is king when it comes to these things... but this taps into a deep desire for adorable packaging. I'd expect to see something like this alongside the Etude House Princess Etoinette lineup.

I don't exactly think it is very representative of what a Hug of Death from Reddit would smell like (I actually suspect it would be very unpleasant), but the idea is also fun. There's a cranky part of me that kind of wishes Evonne didn't name it after a social media phenomenon because such a nice scent should be timeless instead of tied to a passing fad, but perhaps that's just me.