A Wing & A Prayer Perfumes
A Wing & A Prayer Perfumes
84 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Lemon vervain and bergamot burst forth with sharp, almost aggressive citrus brightness, immediately undercut by that peculiar Filth note—animalic and earthy, with a barely-polite funkiness that prevents this from being a standard fresh aromatic. The tea note adds a tannic dryness that feels distinctly botanical, like steeping herbs picked from coastal cliffs.
Violet leaf emerges as the dominant voice, offering green peppery facets that smell genuinely crushed and alive. Iris enters with a dry, woody, almost mineral quality, anchored by the fragrance's synthetic components which paradoxically feel grounding rather than artificial, like the muted tones of driftwood and weathered stone.
Sandalwood and musk form a softly animalic base, with ambergris adding a warm, skin-like quality whilst powdery notes create a talc-like delicacy. Drenzlor (likely a synthetic fixative) ensures the green and aquatic qualities persist, fading to a whisper of bergamot, herbs, and clean skin rather than a cloud of heavy base notes.
Big Sur opens with an almost uncomfortable honesty—lemon vervain and bergamot announce themselves with the brightness of coastal sage scrub, but there's something deliberately unsettling lurking beneath. That "Filth" note (presumably a dark, animalic element) refuses to let this be a simple citrus fresh fragrance. Instead, it anchors the top notes with an earthy, slightly funky undertone, as though you're smelling the petrichor and decomposing kelp alongside the sun-bleached cliffs. The tea note weaves through like morning mist, adding a subtle bitter astringency that prevents the composition from tipping into cheerfulness.
As the composition settles, violet leaf takes centre stage—not the powdery grandmother's-handbag rendition, but the green, almost peppery interpretation that speaks of crushed stems and chlorophyll. The iris joins quietly, contributing a dry, almost woody quality that suggests ceramics and aged paper rather than cosmetic floral sweetness. This heart creates an intriguing tension: green and aquatic accords (88% and 76% respectively) dominate, yet there's a synthetic quality (64%) that feels neither cheap nor apologetic—it's intentional, almost like the filtered light through old glass.
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3.5/5 (124)