The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Velvet & Sweet Pea's Purrfumery's Kittylicious series gave us Black Cat in 2012, Laurie Stern's take on feline mystery translated into warm cocoa, sensuous ylang-ylang, and juicy blood orange. The aniseed myrtle was the surprise element, that hint of sweet, surprising spice meant to feel like a cat's unpredictable turn. Part allure, part ambush. This is the fragrance that arrived when the indie natural perfume world was still finding its footing, Stern already years into her belief that botanical ingredients could do more than their synthetic counterparts.
The combination here is unusual: cocoa and blood orange shouldn't work as cleanly as they do. The citrus cuts through the chocolate's richness, preventing the whole thing from sliding into dessert. Then comes ylang-ylang, a yellow floral with a creamy, almost animalic undertone, adding a layer that most cocoa fragrances skip entirely. Aniseed myrtle brings a quiet licorice warmth to the base, settling under the Tahitian vanilla rather than competing with it. It's a pyramid built on contrast: bright, dark, floral, sweet, all held together by natural materials that behave differently on each person's skin.
The evolution
Blood orange arrives first, sharp, bright, almost a surprise before the cocoa arrives to soften everything. Within minutes the ylang-ylang emerges, tropical and warm, threading through the chocolate like cream stirred into espresso. The vanilla doesn't rush. It builds slowly, over the first hour, as the top notes begin their retreat. By the third hour, the drydown has settled: cocoa and aniseed myrtle, vanilla holding everything close. On some skin, this lasts through the evening. On others, it fades to a warm whisper by dinner. Either way, it leaves a trace, sweet, dark, and impossible to ignore completely.
Cultural impact
Black Cat sits comfortably within the indie natural perfume revival that Stern helped pioneer. The Kittylicious series, which includes this fragrance, attracted a devoted following among niche enthusiasts who wanted botanical authenticity over mass-market performance. It's the kind of fragrance that circulates in communities not because of marketing spend, but because people who smell it remember it. The combination of cocoa, ylang-ylang, blood orange, and aniseed myrtle is distinctive enough to generate conversation, familiar enough to invite re-wearing.
