Rugged, raw, and just rough enough to keep you on your toes, Matthew Camp’s ‘8.5’ fragrance is not for the faint of heart or weak of spirit. It comes on strong – powerfully strong – like the first sting of a strap of black leather against the skin. It stays there a while ~ potent and rich, intoxicating and enthralling ~ daring you to sniff a little deeper. If you’re up for that, it unfolds into something more resonant, notes of cedar striking a natural balance to the opening chords of leather ~ a primal, raw-hide feel of the supple and the sublime. How can something so rough be so smooth?
The package I received of the 1 oz. size came nestled in scraps of black leather, in a box bearing the boldly abstract initial of the artist himself. More than a simple scent, this was an experience – a heightened brush with all the senses ~ something that captivated and provoked the sexiest of thoughts. If daring and desire could be bottled, this may just be it.
It’s rare that an artist’s fragrance embodies who they are so solidly, but Mr. Camp has turned his sexy image into something that can be seen and smelled. It’s as if a little bit of his dangerous charm rubs off on you whenever you wear it, a devilish glint of sexiness coming off the skin like the quickest flick of a whip.
Lingering there, on whatever pulse points you want to accentuate, his fragrance envelops like the slow tightening of a belt, the lacing of a restraint, or the simple pull of a collar. It’s bound to you now, tied up with implacable dark beauty, imbued with an animalistic spirit. It cannot be tamed or contained, and once you open that glorious bottle, all bets are off.
‘8.5’ is available directly from Matthew Camp’s website here.
