The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Chasing the Dragon Hypnotic was built around a feeling everyone recognizes but no one names aloud. Perfumer Angela Stavrevska translated that tension into scent, not through literalism, but through contrast. The name anchors the intent. The notes deliver the effect. Released in 2017 as part of the Addictive Arts collection, this fragrance embodies a bold departure from conventional perfumery, offering an experience that demands attention rather than seeking it. The composition leans heavily into resinous depth, building layers that feel simultaneously inviting and uncompromising.
What makes this pyramid unusual is how the heart contradicts expectations. Black cherry is typically a fruity, playful note, think of it in youthful flanker fragrances or bright summer bottles. Here, Stavrevska buries it under layers of absolute myrrh, resinous labdanum, and an opium accord that carries a faint bitter-medicinal edge. The result isn't fruity. It's not even particularly sweet. It's dark, dense, and demanding, a cherry that forgot how to be innocent.
The evolution
The opening hits fast and sharp, ginger and pink pepper deliver an immediate warmth that doesn't ease in. Bergamot flickers underneath before the elemi resin takes over, adding a faint medicinal depth that signals this isn't a polite fragrance. The citrus fades quickly. The resin remains. Shortly after, the cinnamon and clove take center stage, supported by that dark opium heart. The black cherry isn't obvious at first, it's more of a low sweetness that sits beneath the spice, tempering the intensity without softening it. As the fragrance progresses, the base begins to emerge: amber warmth, patchouli depth, myrrh resin, and vetiver grounding everything into something that radiates off skin rather than projecting into a room. The drydown is intimate, warm, and long, it doesn't fade so much as settle.
Cultural impact
Chasing the Dragon Hypnotic sits within Clive Christian's Addictive Arts collection, a group of fragrances that explore intensity and boldness rather than easy appeal. Community reception has been polarizing in the best way: those who connect with it tend to connect hard, while others find the opium-cherry-resin density too demanding for daily wear. The sillage scores reflect this, it projects strongly in the first hours and settles into something that stays close and personal through the drydown.
