For this blog, I have reviewed/will be reviewing solid fragrances from all over the retail map: mainstream designer, mass market, niche, artisan, indie, natural…and the assorted intersections of all of the above. As I note in my “About…” section, the price point of solids makes them an attractive option for many people and the huge assortment of indies in particular makes it possible to curate a varied and interesting collection without a huge outlay of cash.
Etsy is a great place to source new indie solid fragrances, and I’ve had tremendous good luck with all my purchases there so far. Many Etsy sellers offer designer dupes or create products using “stock” fragrance oils from bath and body suppliers, and while I have nothing against those things, I won’t be covering them on this blog. Fortunately, there are also many sellers on Etsy who create their own original fragrance blends in solid format (as well as liquids, candles, incense, bath and body products, etc.), and those are the sellers I get excited about.
I actually found the creator of this week’s fragrance, Copper Cat Apothecary, through Instagram rather than Etsy, as the seller was not yet offering solid fragrances when I began my Etsy searches. The shop came up through the #solidfragrance hashtag on Instagram when she began dropping teasers about her new line of solid fragrances, to be released at the end of September. Jenni G., the creator behind Copper Cat Apothecary, has been selling bath and body products on Etsy since 2016 and has thousands of sales and heaps of five star ratings under her belt. The line of seven solid fragrances–branded as Copper + Copper–includes some scents blended originally for the bath and body products that customers raved about. The shop overall has a goth vibe and an irreverent sense of humor (something perfumery needs MORE of!), with fun product names like a lip gloss in a beautiful deep red called “Blood of My Enemies” and a hand sanitizer in a fake “Holy Water” container called “Forgive Me Father, I Touched Myself.” Sound like fun? I thought so, too, so I chanced a blind buy of one the Copper + Copper solids, Mr. Lucky.
COPPER + COPPER MR. LUCKY SOLID FRAGRANCE REVIEW
Size: 1 oz. My solid was just $10 a tin, so that’s a lot of bang for the buck!
Packaging: packaged in a black metal tin, with paper labels on top and bottom. The tin arrived in a black satin bag. Tin and bag are reusable/zero waste.
Base: shea butter, cocoa butter, beeswax, glycerin, polysorbate 80. The brand also notes its products are free of parabens and phthalates.
Vegan-friendly: No, due to the beeswax. Some of the fragrances are available in other products from the brand which are suitable for vegans.
Color and texture: The product listing indicates these are softer than traditional solid perfumes, and Jenni G. also dropped me a note in that regard. These are soft by design, and definitely one of the softer solids I have tried. It’s an off-white solid that melts instantly under a fingertip and is very creamy upon application, leaving a slight sheen on skin before it soaks in. You might be tempted to rub it in, like a lotion, but don’t! You’ll only rub the scent away. Also, don’t push too hard on the surface with your finger, and don’t leave it in a hot car or in your pocket on a hot day.
Natural perfume or mixed media: mixed media. The ingredients listing on the tin indicates “fragrance oils,” and the product listing on Etsy indicates essential oils are included in the fragrances.
Fragrance description and notes: the official product listing on Etsy describes it thus: “Mr. Lucky is dark and playful. Spicy, Warm and Citrusy. This unisex fragrance is anything but bad luck. Delicious once on the skin, it diffuses wonderfully over time. Releasing different notes as your body warms this unique fragrance. You will be smiling every time you inhale this fragrance. Mr. Lucky has notes of: Orange + Patchouli + Clove + Cedar + Incense + Tonka + Chocolate + Orange Blossom.”
Longevity: very good, at 4-6 hours. (As with most perfumes, it lasts longer under clothing.)
Sillage: goes on very strong and a gentle breeze brought me wafts of the fragrance I applied on my chest for at least two hours. Mr. Lucky has very good scent throw for a solid. It’s closer to the skin by the three-hour mark and after.
The experience: I had a hard time choosing which fragrance to try. This one, a citrus fragrance called Little Miss Fucking Sunshine and an aromatherapeutic blend called Abby-Normal were my top three choices. In the end, my love of cats and a Halloween-y mood steered me to Mr. Lucky. I have no regrets. Plus, the seller included a sample of Little Miss Fucking Sunshine with my purchase, so I got to try that one anyway. Little Miss… is a delicious juicy citrus fragrance that was nice on its own, blended well with Mr. Lucky and would add a pleasant sweet citrus tone to any other fragrances, too. If you’re looking for something like that, it is a good one to try.
Mr. Lucky is wonderfully complex. When I first opened the tin, I smelled an orange Tootsie Pop–the sweet outer candy shell with the chocolatey center. Upon application, these notes are quickly folded into a complex and harmonious blend of floral incense and spicy woods. The incense here is more akin to the head shop variety than church incense, and it’s absolutely gorgeous in its effect. The fragrance evolves as it dries down, moving through a clove cigarette phase to a gently spiced wood, with a slightly powdery aspect. Sweet smoke billows throughout and is the highlight of the fragrance for the better part of its life on skin.
You’ll need to be a fan of incense to appreciate this one, but if you enjoy that aroma, Mr. Lucky will reward you with a delightful experience. It arrived at the perfect time of the year for me to wear it. Autumn is my favorite season of the year, with Halloween being my favorite holiday, and Mr. Lucky distills all that I love about this time of year into a solid perfume: the candy and baked goods in abundance; the smoke of fireplaces, candles and incense as we cultivate a cozy atmosphere in our homes; the woodsy aroma of bare trees and their fallen leaves. Mr. Lucky will be a great choice in the run-up to Halloween but it’s one I’ll be able to use all winter, too–it’s both festive and a little bit mysterious, which is exactly what I want in a fragrance right now.
Where to buy: Mr. Lucky and all Copper + Copper fragrances are available exclusively via the Copper Cat Apothecary shop on Etsy.
All photographs by me.
Solidly Scented 
One reply on “All That is Autumn: Copper + Copper Mr. Lucky”
Your solid perfumes look to have a very nice consistency.
Maybe I’ll give one a go soon.
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