Sansan: An Olfactory Fanfic Part 2/?
This is an ongoing experiment where I attempt to distill Sansan into various perfumes. PM if you want to be included on my perfume distribution list - free sample vials will be sent out at the end of the fanfic.
Sandor's Perfume
From Sansa 7 ACOK:
“Why did you come here?”
“You promised me a song, little bird. Have you forgotten?”
She didn’t know what he meant. She couldn’t sing for him now, here, with the sky aswirl with fire and men dying in their hundreds and their thousands. “I can’t,” she said. “Let me go, you’re scaring me.”
“Everything scares you. Look at me. Look at me.”
The blood masked the worst of his scars, but his eyes were white and wide and terrifying. The burnt corner of his mouth twitched and twitched again. Sansa could smell him; a stink of sweat and sour wine and stale vomit, and over it all the reek of blood, blood, blood.
“I could keep you safe,” he rasped. “They’re all afraid of me. No one would hurt you again, or I’d kill them.” He yanked her closer, and for a moment she thought he meant to kiss her. He was too strong to fight. She closed her eyes, wanting it to be over, but nothing happened. “Still can’t bear to look, can you?” she heard him say. He gave her arm a hard wrench, pulling her around and shoving her down onto the bed. “I’ll have that song. Florian and Jonquil, you said.” His dagger was out, poised at her throat. “Sing, little bird. Sing for your little life.”
*****
Perfume: Etat Libre d’Orange Secretions Magnifiques
Maker notes: Blood, sweat, sperm and saliva, this is a disturbing perfume. Iode accord, adrenaline accord, blood accord, milk accord, iris, coconut, sandalwood and opoponax*****
My notes:
The above was the only passage I found where a scent was identified for Sandor. Are there others? If so, comment and let me know!
I don't think Sandor smells bad in ordinary life. He takes the time to comb his hair so that it covers his burns, and he is a member of the aristocracy, so imagine, he's not particulary rank in the way a wildling man would be. (Aside: I shudder to think of Jon giving the unwashed Ygritte the Lord's Kiss).
But in the absence of other canon passages, my search was based only on the directions provided by Sansa 7 ACOK - the intensely threatening, sexual, combustible, Blackwater scene.
Note, I did not choose a BPAL scent here. I tested various BPAL masculine scents, but while I liked them on me, I didn't care for them as the scent of Sandor. I love BPAL, but there was something too counterculture about its masculine scents. A man who wears BPAL's De Sade or BPAL's Iago is pretty much self-identifying as a leather clad, wife-swapping lout (in my opinion, YMMV).
Instead, I went upmarket. Etat Libre d’Orange Secretions Magnifiques is an expensive perfume ($80 a bottle) and considered a modern perfume masterpiece. Luca Turin, author of the acclaimed Pefumes The Guide, gave this perfume his highest rating - 5 stars. It was very popular at Sephora for quite a long time after its launch in 2007, so I imagine its a commercial success.
What I say: There's been tons of press about this perfume, so I don't know if I can add much. It is an incredible olfactory experience, the artistry that it took to create it, is astounding. Its called Secretions Magnifiques and it delivers on the bleachy scent of semen, the milky scent of slightly bad breath (not halitosis, but end of day breath), the smell of sweat after a workout (but not BO), and a slight floweriness too, that's almost perverse. But above all, it evokes blood, blood, blood. Not the smell as much as the sensation, like when you have a bloody nose, that bloody, metallic, salty smelly sensation you get at the back of your throat. There's no bathroom secretions though - no urine and no feces. Its raunchy, even arousing in a dirty sex way, but you might find it just plain foul.
What others say: There's a lot of youtube reaction reviews of this one. My favorite is attached. The reviewer summed it up as giving a guy a bloody handjob.
Final thoughts: I will include a 1ml sample of this for everyone on my distribution list. But this is not a perfume to wear outside the house! Or to slather on your man without due consideration. Wear it and read Sansa 7 Blackwater, it will evoke an intense emotion, like Sandor is in the room with you.. Wear it on your hand and write dirty Sansan smutfic. I just hope the vial doesn't break in transit...
Sandor's Perfume
From Sansa 7 ACOK:
“Why did you come here?”
“You promised me a song, little bird. Have you forgotten?”
She didn’t know what he meant. She couldn’t sing for him now, here, with the sky aswirl with fire and men dying in their hundreds and their thousands. “I can’t,” she said. “Let me go, you’re scaring me.”
“Everything scares you. Look at me. Look at me.”
The blood masked the worst of his scars, but his eyes were white and wide and terrifying. The burnt corner of his mouth twitched and twitched again. Sansa could smell him; a stink of sweat and sour wine and stale vomit, and over it all the reek of blood, blood, blood.
“I could keep you safe,” he rasped. “They’re all afraid of me. No one would hurt you again, or I’d kill them.” He yanked her closer, and for a moment she thought he meant to kiss her. He was too strong to fight. She closed her eyes, wanting it to be over, but nothing happened. “Still can’t bear to look, can you?” she heard him say. He gave her arm a hard wrench, pulling her around and shoving her down onto the bed. “I’ll have that song. Florian and Jonquil, you said.” His dagger was out, poised at her throat. “Sing, little bird. Sing for your little life.”
*****
Perfume: Etat Libre d’Orange Secretions Magnifiques
Maker notes: Blood, sweat, sperm and saliva, this is a disturbing perfume. Iode accord, adrenaline accord, blood accord, milk accord, iris, coconut, sandalwood and opoponax*****
My notes:
The above was the only passage I found where a scent was identified for Sandor. Are there others? If so, comment and let me know!
I don't think Sandor smells bad in ordinary life. He takes the time to comb his hair so that it covers his burns, and he is a member of the aristocracy, so imagine, he's not particulary rank in the way a wildling man would be. (Aside: I shudder to think of Jon giving the unwashed Ygritte the Lord's Kiss).
But in the absence of other canon passages, my search was based only on the directions provided by Sansa 7 ACOK - the intensely threatening, sexual, combustible, Blackwater scene.
Note, I did not choose a BPAL scent here. I tested various BPAL masculine scents, but while I liked them on me, I didn't care for them as the scent of Sandor. I love BPAL, but there was something too counterculture about its masculine scents. A man who wears BPAL's De Sade or BPAL's Iago is pretty much self-identifying as a leather clad, wife-swapping lout (in my opinion, YMMV).
Instead, I went upmarket. Etat Libre d’Orange Secretions Magnifiques is an expensive perfume ($80 a bottle) and considered a modern perfume masterpiece. Luca Turin, author of the acclaimed Pefumes The Guide, gave this perfume his highest rating - 5 stars. It was very popular at Sephora for quite a long time after its launch in 2007, so I imagine its a commercial success.
What I say: There's been tons of press about this perfume, so I don't know if I can add much. It is an incredible olfactory experience, the artistry that it took to create it, is astounding. Its called Secretions Magnifiques and it delivers on the bleachy scent of semen, the milky scent of slightly bad breath (not halitosis, but end of day breath), the smell of sweat after a workout (but not BO), and a slight floweriness too, that's almost perverse. But above all, it evokes blood, blood, blood. Not the smell as much as the sensation, like when you have a bloody nose, that bloody, metallic, salty smelly sensation you get at the back of your throat. There's no bathroom secretions though - no urine and no feces. Its raunchy, even arousing in a dirty sex way, but you might find it just plain foul.
What others say: There's a lot of youtube reaction reviews of this one. My favorite is attached. The reviewer summed it up as giving a guy a bloody handjob.
Click to viewFinal thoughts: I will include a 1ml sample of this for everyone on my distribution list. But this is not a perfume to wear outside the house! Or to slather on your man without due consideration. Wear it and read Sansa 7 Blackwater, it will evoke an intense emotion, like Sandor is in the room with you.. Wear it on your hand and write dirty Sansan smutfic. I just hope the vial doesn't break in transit...