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Post by Portia
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Hi there Niche Nerds,
Yes, I know I’m late to the party. These samples were given to me at least a year ago and they have sat winking at me, reminding me not to forget them, wishing I would just damn well spritz. I did smell them on cards originally and thought they were interesting and fun. Mark Buxton has created many financial and critical hits and done a few things I really love: Salvador dali Laguna, a couple of biehl parfumkunstwerke, Le Labo Vetiver 46, loads of cool Comme des Garcons and the list goes on. He has also put his name to stuff I don’t love too. That’s cool, I like to be surprised. When the news came through that he was doing a self named line there was much excitement and fluttering of touchés (He He he who knows if that’s correct?). So finally I have grabbed them out from the draw and am giving them skin time. Here’s the one I really liked a lot…
Devil In Disguise by Mark Buxton Perfumes 2012
Devil In Disguise by Mark Buxton
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Rhubarb leaf, ginger
Heart: Magnoli, neroli
Base: Patchouli, vetiver, musk
Everyone else gets sweet but I get a softly sweet green, a very olde worlde reminder of my Mum making rhubarb for the family and me thinking it tasted like shit. Everyone else loved it and asked for more. Here the rhubarb is a sweet starting point but not like the celebuscent spun sugar jelly crystals type sweet, more like a healthy sweet. Yeah, I’m making this clear as mud, I know.
Devil In Disguise opens beautifully, it’s lightly sweetened and edible but not cake or particularly gourmand. I taste no vanilla or biscuit or candy. It’s warm and vegetal, softly zingy. Though I cringe at using gender definers it smells like a sexy masculine that could easily be worn by either sex. While not being strange it is compelling and it lures my nose in to sniff it again and again. Never really offering me anything concrete to write down for you because it’s not the same as anything I’ve smelled or easily correctable to ideas. Bittersweet. That’s the best analogy I have. It’s like the bittersweet feeling of losing your love, slowly and knowingly watching them shut down and yet loving them too much to let go. The heartache mixed with joyful memories. That’s what Devil In Disguise smells like to me.
My nose misses the heart completely and sniff directly to the base, particularly the vetiver and shaded by the patchouli. Vetiver becomes king though and the opening sweet green is repeated over the vetiver to warm its rough rasp and soften and smooth. Draped elegantly in clean musks the whole fragrance fades slowly and a whisper remains for morning, amorphous and pretty.
Further reading: Non Blonde and Black Narcissus
Mark Buxton has €140/100ml
Did you spend any time with the Mark Buxton range? What did you think?
Portia xx
Australian Perfume Junkies 
Hi Portia, I first became aware of Mark Buxton after I tried a sample of mb02 which he did for biehl parfumkunstwerke. It was everything I could hope for in a winter scent (yes, I’m dividing scents into seasons): sweet woody notes, comfort, warmth, yet it was fresh and with a good longevity. I’m sure I would like the scents from his own line but I wasn’t able to try them so far.
I never tasted rhubarb so I can’t say anything about the note itself but it makes me curious and the name of the perfume is certainly intriguing.
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Hey Neva,
Lucky you never tasting rhubarb. BLEUCK! Sadly I don’t like the taste but I do like the smell.
Portia xx
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You would like rhubarb if I made it for you. And one day I will. ?
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I accept the challenge Daisy.
Portia xxx
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Hi Portia,
I remember sniffing MB01, 02 and 03 a couple of years ago. I don’t recall what they smelled like now but I DO know exactly where the samples are. That is probably an indication that I liked them all. Recently I tried Mark Buxton’s Sleeping with Ghosts. On my skin it started out beautifully light and transparent (as the name suggests) but after about 10 minutes settled into a cloying sweetness that managed to give even my very serious sweet tooth a scare. I made several attempts to like this one and each time scrubbed it off. Each time I was actually quite pleased with the residual post scrubbing effect – the Ghost of Sleeping with Ghosts. But it took two scrubs to get there!
Azar xx
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Hey Azar,
OMG! That is serious tenacity. Great story.
Portia xxx
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Thanks! I’ve not tried this one but I love wearing Message in a Bottle X
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I bet it smells amazing on you Ainslie. That was the big hit from his line, wasn’t it?
Portia xx
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I have Emotional Rescue from this line which is primarily centered around the note of vetiver. Apparently, Emotional Rescue is Buxton’s favorite in his signature line as well.
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I like most of Mark Buxton line, I’m a huge fan of Mark Buxton himself. Devil in Disguise makes me feel somewhat melancholic and I don’t wear it often but I enjoy the smell of rhubarb. 🙂 My favourites from this line are Message in a Bottle, Emotional Rescue, and Sleeping with Ghosts. Pity that the new one is the last of this line… 😦
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I didn’t know that. Why Thinking Magpie? Is he not into it any more?
Portia xx
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He said he would start focusing on other projects and A Day In My Life would be the last one for this line. Sounded like he’s happy with what he did for this series and decided it’s time to move on. xx
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So interesting. Love it when a dream gets fulfilled and people know it’s time to move on.
Portia xxx
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