First Impressions
The first spray of With the Candlestick feels like walking into a drawing room where something deliciously illicit has just occurred. There's an immediate blast of brandied cherry sweetness sharpened by the prickle of cinnamon leaf—not the comforting bakery cinnamon of your childhood, but something more ceremonial, almost sinister. Within moments, smoke begins to curl through the composition like evidence being burned, and you realize this isn't just a fragrance. It's a crime scene rendered in scent.
Clue Perfumery's 2023 release doesn't apologize for its theatrical premise. Drawing inspiration from the classic board game's most iconic weapon, this fragrance commits fully to its noir aesthetic. The opening is assertive without being aggressive, balancing gourmand tendencies with a resinous darkness that hints at the amber and smoke-laden journey ahead. This is not a fragrance that whispers—it announces itself with the confidence of a detective revealing the culprit.
The Scent Profile
The cherry-cinnamon opening is deceptively straightforward, lasting perhaps fifteen minutes before the heart reveals its true complexity. That initial fruit note—accounting for 50% of the accord profile—is no simple maraschino sweetness. It's dark, almost medicinal, with a liqueur-like depth that speaks to careful composition rather than candy-counter inspiration.
As the top notes recede, the heart emerges with gothic grandeur. Incense takes center stage, bringing the solemn atmosphere of cathedral stone and rising smoke. But this isn't a purely spiritual incense; the inclusion of castoreum and labdanum adds an animalic, almost carnal warmth that grounds the composition in skin rather than ether. The castoreum lends a leather-like quality without explicit leather notes, while labdanum contributes to that overwhelming amber presence (clocking in at a perfect 100% in the accord breakdown). Together, they create a balsamic richness that accounts for 45% of the fragrance's character—sweet, resinous, and impossibly enveloping.
The base is where With the Candlestick earns its name. Candle wax as a listed note might sound gimmicky, but here it manifests as a waxy, slightly fatty sweetness that mimics the smell of a candle burning in a closed room. It's paraffin and beeswax, melted tallow and spent wick—strangely beautiful in its specificity. Musk rounds out the foundation with a clean, skin-like finish that prevents the composition from becoming too heavy or oppressive despite its intensity. That musky element, representing 53% of the accord structure, provides crucial lift to what could otherwise become suffocating in its density.
The warm spicy accord (70%) threads through all three stages, ensuring coherence from first spray to final drydown, while the smoky element (90%) never fully dissipates, giving the fragrance its signature smoldering quality.
Character & Occasion
The data tells a clear story: this is a creature of darkness and cold. With fall scoring 100% and winter at 99%, With the Candlestick has virtually no warm-weather application. Spring barely registers at 10%, and summer is nearly off the table at 5%. This is a fragrance for shorter days, longer nights, and the kind of weather that makes you want to light a fire and pour something strong.
More tellingly, the day versus night split is dramatic—17% day wear versus 93% night. This isn't your office-appropriate option unless you work in a very particular kind of establishment. The fragrance demands low lighting, intimate settings, and occasions where a little drama is not just accepted but encouraged. Think dinner parties that run past midnight, theater openings, late autumn gallery walks, or simply evenings at home when you want to feel like the protagonist of your own mystery novel.
The feminine categorization feels somewhat arbitrary here. While marketed as such, the composition's animalic warmth, smoky intensity, and lack of obvious florals would sit comfortably on any gender. This is for those who favor atmosphere over accessibility.
Community Verdict
With 366 votes tallying to a 3.88 out of 5 rating, With the Candlestick occupies interesting territory. This isn't a crowd-pleaser in the traditional sense—that score suggests a fragrance with conviction, one that those who love it truly love, while others might find it too niche or challenging. Nearly 400 ratings for a 2023 release from an indie house indicates genuine interest and engagement, suggesting Clue Perfumery has struck a nerve with their game-inspired collection.
The rating reflects a well-executed concept that won't appeal to everyone, and that's perfectly fine. Not every fragrance needs universal approval to be worth your attention.
How It Compares
The comparisons are telling. By the Fireplace by Maison Martin Margiela shares that cozy, smoky warmth but skews lighter and more overtly comforting. Lost Cherry by Tom Ford brings similar cherry-forward darkness but with more emphasis on almond and a sweeter, less resinous base. Harvest Mouse by Zoologist and Blanche Bête by Les Liquides Imaginaires share the animalic richness, while Gris Charnel by BDK Parfums occupies similar amber-musky territory.
Where With the Candlestick distinguishes itself is in that specific candle wax note—an accord that's simultaneously familiar and strange, giving the fragrance its distinctive character within this smoky-amber-cherry category.
The Bottom Line
With the Candlestick succeeds at what it sets out to do: create an atmospheric, reference-heavy fragrance that goes beyond mere novelty. At 3.88 stars, it's a solid performer that delivers on its promise without claiming perfection. For those drawn to amber-dominant, smoky compositions with unusual accords and strong seasonal identity, this warrants exploration.
This is for the perfume collector who already owns the classics and wants something with personality. For those building their first fragrance wardrobe, there are more versatile options. But if you're searching for a cold-weather evening signature with narrative depth and aren't afraid of projection and presence, With the Candlestick might just be your perfect crime.
AI-generated editorial review
