Francesca Bianchi Sticky Fingers Extrait de Parfum

Fragrance Family:
Woods

Notes:
Coriander Seed, Cinnamon, Iris Butter, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Heliotrope, Musk, Castoreum, Leather, Tobacco, Tonka Bean

Concentration:
Extrait de Parfum (25%)

Occasion:
An exemplary, knock-out patchouli, for those who crave its boozy, sticky earthiness. 

Francesca’s Inspiration:
“This perfume sticks not just to your fingers, but perversely sticks to your mind. The perfume revolves around patchouli, in a decadent and sumptuous interpretation. The opening immediately puts on the table the powerful weapons: an intense, almost boozy patchouli and leather. It is somehow wild and carefree, dangerously dressed in leather but playful. The dry-down gets softer and more complex, thanks to a dirty iris butter which makes the whole atmosphere smoother and more intriguing. Don’t get fooled by iris, no romance is going on here: tobacco leaves are rolled, the leather jacket is eventually thrown somewhere, and the delightful and tempting smell of skin finally emerges. Many intertwined reasons and personal mental associations led me to this creation and its title.

This perfume is conceived to be as tempting as chocolate stuck all over your fingers and you cannot help but licking them. Mind you: this is not a gourmand fragrance, and licking your fingers is a metaphor referring to other kinds of irresistible temptations. One major reference is surely the iconic album from 1971. I love rock, and the 70s for what they brought in music, but especially, I love that album cover. It accompanied me for a long while, as a vinyl record shop just around the corner was displaying it on its window, and I was exposed to it every day. That cover literally stuck to my mind, and when I started thinking about the mood of this perfume, I couldn’t help but think about that.”

Made in Italy

Sticky Fingers speaks directly to the patchouli lover, who seeks decadence and apologetic realism - a fragrance that refuses to civilize the extraordinary material, but to draw it out further, all of its facets on display. Sticky Fingers is a paradox, both dusty and sticky and maintained in a delightful tension. Attesting to the quality of the material, a slight camphoraceous quality emerges, as well as smoke. Considerable work goes into achieving this effect, as Francesca Bianchi works this primary note with lashings of spices and tobacco leaf, vibrating well across the complete tonal register. Its drydown is long and beautiful. Iris butter, tonka bean, and heliotrope pad this fragrance, while animalics add requisite snarl - reminding us that this is a shrub, and is no flower!