FRAGRANCE | Mortal Skin EDP by Stephane Humbert Lucas: Could this be Voldemort's signature scent?

The minute I saw it I fell in love with the bottle, so much so that I wanted it before even bothering with Googling what the scent is like, what the reviews are saying and all that. It's the Slytherin in me, so I guess you can't fault me for going head over heels over the bottle's exquisite, snake-inspired design. And yes, I blind-bought Mortal Skin.

Mortal Skin was the first release under Stephane Humbert Lucas's "The Snake Collection" back in 2015. Curiously, though, it hasn't seen any follow-up aside from the Harrods exclusive, H Mamba, in 2017. Are sales not good? Could the fragrance be bad? Meanwhile, Lucas's banner 777 Collection has steadily been adding new releases every now and then. At the back of my mind I was a little worried. This 50ml bottle ain't cheap after all. Although it's still not one of the house's top of the line fragrances, its pricing is in their mid-tier range.

Because of the sinister-looking (though elegant) bottle design, I was expecting a really dark scent. To my surprise I was greeted with a pleasant, smoky-sweet, and powdery opening that's also a bit fruity. I don't think Voldemort would be wearing such a bright fragrance. Minutes later, however, an ink-like accord slithers into the scene, carrying with it a certain coldness (like a cold-blooded snake perhaps?). I thought, okay, now there's a bit of darkness creeping in.

The resinous sweetness remains as I get some florals in the background, along with a mild spiciness. Later the smokiness eases and about 30 minutes in, the ink gradually increases in strength but is still tempered by the sweetness and the powdery accord. Shortly after a bit of mustiness appears but it doesn't dominate. As the rest of the notes recede, the ink, the mustiness, and the powdery-sweet accord randomly pop up and go—and then back. Eventually they all settle together close to the skin; no more hide-and-seek.

Despite having some inherently heavy ingredients such as myrrh and other resins, Mortal Skin manages to remain rather light and airy, clean even. And while the ink may suggest a certain darkness, it never goes full-on dark. The Dark Lord may easily ditch this but I am absolutely embracing this perfume (even in full Voldemort costume, haha!).

Mortal Skin is no roaring monster, which may be a disappointment to some, but it's definitely long-lasting. Instead, it slithers and hisses with its generally soft to moderate projection. It's as if it wants you to come closer, luring you in, and then it strikes. It's a really well-crafted fragrance, something I find unique in that I can't think of anything that even remotely resembles it thus far. Even if you don't end up buying it, for me it's worth trying.