#base notes

[plantedde]

let's build a perfume!

choose a base note:

ripped paper from an ancestor's diary

mildewy air conditioner

haunted cedar chest

golden caramelized amber

patchouli

rain on asphalt

frankincense & myrrh

overgrown oakmoss

seven shots of whiskey at a rural dive bar

hinoki wood incense

soft elegant suede

Voting ended onNov 10, 2023

click here to vote on top notes

click here to vote on heart notes

it is nearly 1am and i have decided that now is the time to create a perfume through tumblr polls. if you don't see a favorite note here, i may be keeping it for a future frankenstein perfume poll. this is really a love letter to the purple prose of perfume copy and the world-building of indie perfumes. as such, i will create a fake perfume launch for our creation once our poll is done. please note that perfume is intended as a gender neutral term!

[thegothiclibrary]

LGBTQ Reading Recs

I know we’re heading toward the end of Pride Month, but it’s never too late to expand your reading to include more books with LGBTQ representation! In this post, I’ll be giving you some recommendations of books that feature characters across the spectrum of queer identities, based on the literary works, genres, and tropes you already know you like: (more…)

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[wickedzeevyln]

Spray

Nakedly bottled.Capturing bursting seasonshere and now. Life, delicate in its notes,the top notes,lithe as youth,citrus and bloom,ever briefly,recondite pleasure,a suppliance of timea rush that fades away. Heart notes,the flesh of our days, unfold—warm spices, florals, deeper and continues to exude as winter winds careless breath. In the middle years, the scent sits and blares and mellows—a…

Spray

[haveyoureadthistransbook]

Base Notes by Lara Elena Donnelly

goodreads

Have you read this trans book?

Yes and I liked it

Yes and I didn't like it

No

No but I'd like to

I've never heard of it

Voting ended onSep 8, 2024

In New York City everybody needs a side hustle, and perfumer Vic Fowler has developed a delicate art that has proved to be very creating bespoke scents that evoke immersive memories—memories that, for Vic’s clients, are worth killing for. But the city is expensive, and these days even artisanal murder doesn’t pay the bills. When Joseph Eisner, a former client with deep pockets, offers Vic an opportunity to expand the enterprise, the money is too good to turn down. But the job is too intricate—and too dangerous—to attempt alone. Manipulating fellow struggling artists into acting as accomplices is easy. Like Vic, they too are on the verge of burnout and bankruptcy. But as relationships become more complicated, Vic’s careful plans start to unravel. Hounded by guilt and a tenacious private investigator, Vic grows increasingly desperate to complete Eisner’s commission. Is there anyone—friends, lovers, coconspirators—that Vic won’t sacrifice for art?

Mod opinion: I haven't heard of this book before, but it sounds like an interesting thriller.

[thegothiclibrary]

Books with Nonbinary/Ungendered Protagonists

Happy Pride Month, dear readers! I’ve written a few times on this blog about how Gothic literature has been used to explore marginalized genders and sexualities, both in joyful, celebratory ways and as a way of exploring societal and personal anxieties about not conforming to the norm. Many queer authors have found their place in the field of Gothic fiction, and you’ll also find many queer…

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[techdriveplay]

How to Choose Your Signature Scent: TDP's Guide to Luxury Fragrances

In the world of perfumery, luxury fragrances stand as the pinnacle of craftsmanship and sensory experience. These scents are more than just accessories; they are profound expressions of personality and style, crafted to enchant the senses, evoke memories, and establish a lasting presence. Selecting a luxury fragrance isn’t merely about choosing a scent—it’s about discovering an olfactory…

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[darkravn]

I am reading Base Notes by Lara Elena Donnelly. It's like if Perfume (Peter Suskind) and maybe Dexter had a baby...

One interesting thing is as of yet there is not clear description on the main character/anti hero. No pronouns for them. A reference to them being bisexual. They are generally well dressed, but the items described are incredibly gender neutral. Any physical descriptions are also vague but de hitting at nonbinary. Thus I have decided for they are Mason Alexander Park, from quantum leap, in my brain, but with a little more edge to their style.

So far it's interesting. The writing is not the worst, but not anything amazing.

side note:the number of reviews I read that had obviously never heard of Perfume, be it the book, movie, or multiple TV shows that have been made from the plot, and were surprised by the killing people to make perfume was both amusing and sad...