Inspired by the smell of ink, Lampblack debuted at Gallery Paule Anglim, alongside a series of ink paintings. Lampblack is named for the pigment in India ink, formerly made from the soot of oil-burning lamps. My goal with this scent was to enhance the ink-like notes of nagarmotha in a way that would create a transparent, colorful darkness. — Bruno Fazzolari1
And yes, he succeeded. Bruno Fazzolari’s Lampblack is one of my favorite indie fragrances of the past couple years (it launched in 2013). It is possible, if you try, to smell all of its listed components — sweet orange, black pepper, bitter grapefruit, nagarmotha (cypriol), benzoin and vetiver — but it is likewise possible to close your eyes and smell ink and soot. If that sounds too weird to wear, it’s really not, in fact, it’s arguably easier on the nose than fragrances with similar inspirations, such as Comme des Garçons 2 and Andrea Maack Coal…
