The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Find Me In The Dark Chapter II is the second installment in a narrative series by The Unleashed Apothecary. Where the first chapter opened a door into nocturnal olfactory territory, this sequel pushes further into the dark, a deliberate deepening of atmosphere and intent. Bodin structured the fragrance as a continuation, not a repetition, building outward from the same forest-floor vocabulary but with added complexity in the base. The chapter framing is intentional: this is a story that unfolds over hours on skin, each phase revealing something the previous one hid. The project pursued olfactory directions that emerged from personal intuition rather than market calculation. Bodin's creative direction set the framework; the nose did the rest.
What makes Find Me In The Dark Chapter II distinctive is not any single material but the combination and progression of them. Moss, oakmoss, fir, sage, cypriol, costus, castoreum, vetiver, honey, this is a pyramid built from the ground up, every layer adding weight and darkness. The costus is the most unusual choice here. Costus root has a medicinal, slightly animalic character that most perfumers avoid or use sparingly because it can read as sharp, almost unsettling. Bodin didn't avoid it. He let it anchor the base. The honey threads through the green and earthy materials like a quiet concession to sweetness, but even that feels grounded, not floral honey, not golden honey, but something darker, more resinous.
The evolution
The opening arrives damp and immediate. Moss, wet and cold, with honey's faint gold threading through. Fir needles add a sharp, balsamic cut that lifts the green without softening it. In its early stages, this is a forest after rainfall, the kind of smell that sticks in your memory from childhood. The heart phase introduces oakmoss's deeper, almost phenolic green, and sage brings warmth. But it is the cypriol that marks the turn, smoky, slightly leathery, pushing the composition into darker territory. As the fragrance develops, costus and castoreum have fully arrived. This is where opinions split. The costus reads animalic, almost confrontational, some wearers describe it as thrilling, others as challenging. Castoreum adds a warm, leathery depth that tames the costus slightly but does not eliminate it. Vetiver grounds everything in dry, mineral earth. The honey never fully disappears.
Cultural impact
Find Me In The Dark Chapter II stands apart for its uncompromising character. The costus and castoreum in the base are materials that divide opinion, and the fragrance does not soften them. The fragrance attracted wearers who wanted something that actually challenged them, and it earned genuine criticism from those who found the animalic depth too much. Whether you find it compelling or confrontational, it is difficult to ignore. The bold pairing creates a scent experience that asks something of the wearer, refusing to recede into pleasant background noise.
