The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Ascension is part of Siren Song Elixirs' BG3 Collection, a series of fandom-inspired compositions from indie perfumer Leslie Smith. Launched in 2023, this particular scent draws directly from the Baldur's Gate 3 character Astarion in his ascended form. When the pale elf becomes a darker version of himself, when he trades restraint for power and indulgence, this is the scent Siren Song assigned to that transformation. The inspiration isn't a place or a season but a specific archetype: the seducer who stops pretending he isn't dangerous. The perfumer's intent reads clearly through the composition. Bergamot and rosemary open, the markers of Astarion's original self, then recede as carnal pleasures take over. The brandy deepens. The incense burns hotter. The lavender that remains is sun-warmed, French countryside, not the dank underground hideout of the vampire spawn.
What makes this composition structurally interesting is the inversion of typical aromatic spicy templates. The French lavender is an undercurrent that amplifies rosemary rather than softening it. That choice keeps the herbal register alive deep into the drydown, which is notable given how the brandy note dominates the heart. The incense reads resinous and liturgical, carrying the weight of old church smoke and darkened wood, the kind of smolder that builds slowly and lingers in fabric. The black pepper doesn't bite; it glows.
The evolution
The first ten minutes belong to the bergamot and rosemary, subdued as the official description promises, reading like a herbal courtyard in late afternoon. Then the brandy arrives with weight, and the composition shifts registers entirely. The spiced brandy note doesn't shout, it saturates. Over the next hour, incense smoke rises through the warm alcoholic sweetness, and the lavender emerges not as a fougère marker but as something sun-warmed and ancient. As the bergamot fully exits, what's left is a dense amber-incense-pepper architecture, the kind of scent that feels like it's been aging on skin for decades. The incense thickens into something almost candlelit, and the amber wraps around it like warm wood paneling in a dim room.
Cultural impact
Ascension sits within the BG3 Collection, tapping directly into Baldur's Gate 3 fandom, a community that turned a video game character into a cultural fixation. Ascension is the scent for the version of that character who stopped holding back. It's the kind of scent that lives in the spaces where fans gather to dissect lore and trade recommendations, bought by people who know exactly which moment inspired it and don't need it explained. The appeal is insider, specific, devotional, and that's the point.
