Rhubarb grows where spells are planted.
At the edges of gardens, between order and wildness, it pushes its crimson stalks through dark soil like a secret kept by the earth. In old herbal and folk traditions, rhubarb was less ingredient than incantation, used to restore balance, move stagnant energies, and protect the body from unseen disturbances.
Rhubarb Thief opens with tension and snap. Grapefruit pith delivers a bitter-bright jolt; dry, bracing and alive, tempered by the clean grain of cedar. Angelica, long regarded as a guardian plant and tonic, brings a herbal muskiness that feels both medicinal and spiritual. Thyme and verbena sharpen the edges, aromatic and green, while carrot seed introduces a soft earthiness, rooted, warm, and quietly grounding.
At the heart, the stalk is snapped. Rhubarb arrives vivid and mouthwatering. Green, tart, and vegetal, its brightness humming with energy rather than sweetness. Pink jasmine softens the sharpness with a translucent floral warmth, while cypress adds verticality, cool, resinous and breath-opening, a tree long associated with vitality and renewal.
The base settles into moss and resin. Elemi brings a citrus-tinged balminess, once used in healing salves to soothe both skin and spirit. Oakmoss anchors the composition in damp forest shadow, mineral, velvety and alive, connecting the body back to earth.
Rhubarb Thief is a perfume of recalibration, bright yet rooted, cleansing yet sensual. A botanical charm disguised as pleasure, stolen from the garden before the light changes and the spell breaks.
NOTES
Top: Grapefruit Pith, Cedar, Angelica, Thyme, Verbena, Carrot Seed
Middle: Rhubarb, Pink Jasmine, Cypress
Base: Elemi, Oakmoss
PERFUMER
Douglas Little
HOW IT WEARS
Beginning with the bittersweet tartness of grapefruit (which stays really forward for most of Rhubarb Thief’s wear on the skin, we find) as the fragrance mellows a bit, you notice the subtle greenery of verbena and thyme. Next, of course, you pick up the rhubarb, which like the grapefruit is bright and bittersweet, but just a little more green and earthy. Pink jasmine and angelica together add a musky sweetness to the scent, acting as the perfect counterbalance for the more rustic notes. As Rhubarb Thief dries down, cypress and elemi very softly lend their woody camphor to the composition, which ends with oakmoss. In this fragrance, the oakmoss comes across very earthy, almost like a soil tincture – fitting for a rhubarb scent!
LORE LOVES
The incredible visuals and campaign aside… we think this fragrance is a masterpiece. It’s fresh and energetic, but still maintains that core Heretic DNA of a grounded, sexy earthiness in the base. If you were a fan of the original Dirty Grapefruit by Heretic, Rhubarb Thief is like the earthier, slightly more complex version. Because of its brightness and vibrancy, this fragrance has a sense of fun and cheekiness about it – like the olfactory version of a wink.
Tiffany King (verified owner) –
This may well be my favourite fragrance ever. I’m addicted. Goes on almost with a bright citrus but has amazing undertones. Stunning packaging too. Best yet. Thanks Lore team – it’s a winner for me.
Crystal Keenan –
This one is not for me. It’s a well done fragrance and most people who have smelled it have said they love it.
For me it is too sharp and tart. It’s a shock from my senses and there’s just something I don’t like.
That being said, my daughter sprayed it on herself one day and it smelled quite nice on her.
It really is a nice fragrance, it just is too “lime like” for me.