Aequitas - latin for equity, justice and fairness - is a concept that is very close to my heart. it reminds me of how the strict letter of the law can never by itself wholly encompass the realm of legal issues to give a remedy for every wrong that occurs, and the fine balance that is required to be struck between justice and fairness to create a meaningful outcome. it's more than just the rules to be followed, but what makes the law in itself meaningful and beneficial.
though in truth, i suspect that wasn't what the nose behind this scent had in mind when creating this gem. the official description reads: "Yes. It’s a fragrance inspired by The Boondock Saints. Smoke and blood and a LOT of whiskey and damp alleys and steel and gunpowder and sweat and denim and sweet wooden rosary beads and a bit of clover struggling up through concrete cracks. It is so, so, so sexy."
now, i'll be honest to admit that the actual contents of the bottle hadn't been the main focus for me when i was deciding whether to buy this one, though as it turns out, i ended up being intrigued by the description and notes after making my purchase. and with the benefit of hindsight, i was extremely happy that i managed to snag a full-size of this one, especially since it's been discontinued and is no longer available.
in the bottle, Aequitas is sweeter than i expected. the description had initially made me envision something as dark and intense as a backalley knife fight, but this turned out to feature a complex sweetness from the whiskey with a soft wood in the background. funnily enough i actually can smell a layer of sweat beneath (presumably a combination of a salt note with a light amber), though this isn't the kind of sweat stink from manual labour out in the sun - it adds a more human dimension that blends nicely with and gives more depth to the scent. contrary to popular belief about sweat being stinky and something you would want to use a scent to cover up, this really works as part of the scent.
on application, Aequitas just opens up and blooms so profoundly into a rich and warm scent that enraptured me for the entire three hours or so of wear (notwithstanding its immensely low throw). the first thing that hits me is the smoke and a touch of burning from the gunpowder, though the base sweet woodiness from the bottle helps to temper that acrid bite to it. i also liked how the atmospheric nature of the scent came out with some wetness in the background - it's not anywhere near rain levels but more evocative of a light drizzle in an urban landscape. i can't really discern the blood or clover as individual notes, but frankly it comes as no surprise given that this is such a nuanced and masterfully blended scent.
if one could visualise scents in images, this is totally Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, shirtless and in jeans, claws out and thrashing bad guys wielding guns in some dark alley on a rainy night. the description wasn't overstating anything, because this really is so, so, so sexy. stereotypes aside, it's a super attractive scent to be wearing or to smell on someone else, regardless of gender. Aequitas is one of those scents that turned out to be a surprise love for me, and something that i could wear for an entire day when i'm badass and i know it. 9/10.
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Aequitas is a discontinued scent and appears to be no longer available for the time being. Darling Clandestine is taking a break from fragrancing (though they have sporadic releases from time to time at their website here).
this review is of a product that i had purchased secondhand with my own money. i wasn’t asked to review this scent as a condition of receipt and didn’t receive any incentives for writing this. i’m not affiliated with Darling Clandestine and as always, all opinions remain my own.
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