Statik Olfactive Finding Forbidden Love Review

Statik Olfactive Finding Forbidden Love Bottle courtesy of the brand

I found out a few years ago that there is a discussion in the perfume community as to whether making perfumes is an art or a craft. Some of my favorite perfumers come down firmly on the idea that it is a craft, not an art–that to call it an art would be to elevate a craft into something amorphous, when perfume is quite tangible. It should not surprise you that I happen to come down on the side that perfumery is art. It’s chemistry and inspiration and yes, craft, but ultimately, it’s olfactory art. Opinions vary, of course, so I’d love to know yours.

Art is subjective. When I first smelled Statik Olfactive Finding Forbidden Love, I hesitated. I should admit up front that I own two tea centric fragrances and that one of the most famous, Tommy Girl didn’t ‘suit me. Calice Becker is a genius so that’s not on her, or the very pretty perfume that sold (and continues to sell!) in the millions. I mention this to make clear that we all have our preferences. And Finding Forbidden Love took me out of my comfort zone.

White Tea, Photo by Vincent Roman on Unsplash

It opens with an aldehydic, almost soapy top note–a white tea made of white peaches, with luscious flowers–jasmine and rose–just underneath. When I think of white tea fragrances, I think of something light and sheer, but this perfume has more substance than that, which I credit to the incense in the middle notes. White peaches are drier than yellow peaches, which you can smell here–this is not a cloying peach (Kiler mentioned his son helped guide this direction when they were on a trip in Japan–he suggested “trying to emulate the white peach of drinks found in Japan and other Asian countries”).

White Peaches via Pixabay

Statik Olfactive founder Chris Martin also told us, “We really wanted Finding Forbidden Love to stand out as a peach fragrance unique and unlike any other out there. Peach is such a popular trending note in perfumery, and most of them have a thick, syrupy, saccharine sweetness to them. We wanted this perfume to stay bright, airy, and fresh. After speaking with perfumer Paul Kiler, he recommended the use of white peach, which has a different scent profile than that of the typical yellow peach that is widely used. White peaches are sweeter, more floral, less tart, and less syrupy than their more common yellow counterpart.”

It then dries down into a creamy sandalwood, sweetened by raspberry and honey, but again, leaning leftward a bit with some Davana to cut the sweetness. This is truly an expert composition.

Perfumer Paul Kiler was the recipient of The Art and Olfaction Awards-Aftel Award for Handmade Perfume 2019

Entirely self-taught, Kiler has said that he has no interest in becoming a French-style perfumer; his vantage point is uniquely American. I love this about our North American perfumers many of whom are self-taught or who are mentored by other American perfumers. Some of the most interesting work in perfumery today comes from them (read Paul Kiler of PK Perfumes Profiles in American Perfumery here).

Photo by Tom Rumble on Unsplash

The more I sprayed this perfume, the more I appreciated it. The more I began to actually… crave it. And it struck me that my reaction fell perfectly in line with the entire idea of this perfume, of finding forbidden love. The story Kiler thought of is a simple one, as old as time: a commoner falling in love with a noble, in an ancient time before our own, somewhere in Asia. He can smell the jasmine in her hair as they stand in a white peach orchard, and the white peach scent mixed with the roses nearby are a heady scent that he will forever treasure as a memory of her innocence, and their love. Forbidden, but somehow right. The first perfume also made for Statik Olfactive by Kiler, is another tea scent: The Forbidden Temple. Where that perfume leaned dark with a blend of black and green teas, this one leans light. Yin and yang, black and white, shade and sunshine. I’m incredibly curious as to whether there will be a third perfume in this tea lineup, and what that will smell like.

I rarely write about presentation because what’s important to us is the jus, right? But Statik Olfactive founder Chris Martin has outdone himself. His bottles arrive like a gift, packed in confetti and gilt. The bottles are beautifully designed and better made than perfumes that go for three times the price. My perfume has gold flakes in it (you can order with or without but reader, why go without?) and the bottle itself feels hefty and luxurious.

12 ml flacon

Their 12ml sizes look like mini bottles, complete with gorgeous caps. This type of thoughtfulness really shows how much they value their customers and their experience with the brand and I think it’s commendable.

If you want a beautiful white tea fragrance that is sophisticated and substantial enough to wear this fall and winter as the weather gets colder, take a sniff of Statik Olfactive’s gorgeous Finding Forbidden Love.

Top Notes: White Peaches, White Tea, Jasmine, Rose, Cypress Wood; Middle Notes: Frankincense, Opoponax, Labdanum; Base Notes: Raspberry, Davana, Honey, Sandalwood

Disclaimer: Statik Olfactive generously provided a bottle of Finding Forbidden Love for me to sample, but my opinions are my own.

Mimian Morales, Contributor

Thanks to the generosity of Statik Olfactive, we have one 50ml bottle of Finding Forbidden Love for a registered ÇaFleureBon reader for a USA and EU Draw (if you are not sure if you are registered, click here – you must register on our site or your entry will be invalid). To be eligible, please leave a comment with what you thought of Mimian’s review of Statik Olfactive Finding Forbidden Love and where you live. Draw closes December 1, 2025

Please read Nicoleta’s reviews of Creme de Menthe Cafe here, Scarlett Lady, Karl’s review of Into The Wild and Sandi’s review of Home for The Holidays. Steven included Statik Olfactive Finding Forbidden Love in his Best of Fall Video

Learn more about each fragrance by visiting the official website.

Statik Olfactive fragrances can be purchased on their website, as well as Emanuel New York, Stele NY (coming in December), and Absolute Fragrances.

Editor’s Note: Now is your chance to buy a Statik Olfactive Perfume at incredible prices for Black Friday through December 1, 2025

Code BFBottle: Buy a 50 ml of any fragrance and receive a 12 ml of your choice FREE, or a 100 ml and receive your choice of a 50 ml. FREE SHIPPING.

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