DIRTY SANTA: Notes From the Perfumer

*WARNING: Contains explicit language.  Ron Finley is most definitely a heretic. He’s a rebel with a green thumb, and a deeply conscious, vitally awake gifted thinker. Able to see through the clutter and noise, he is an inspired artist who connects people through powerful metaphors and raises their spirits by taking back what was already theirs to begin with. Known as the “Gangsta Gardener”, Ron has been empowering citizens to grow their own food since 2010, when he began planting fruits, flowers and vegetables on his neighborhood parkways in South Central LA (those often neglected dirt patches next to our streets). He was cited for gardening without a permit by the apparent owners of those dirt patches: the City of Los Angeles. Queue the beginning of a horticulture revolution. Ron fought back, and won. He started a petition with fellow green activists, and demanded the right to garden and grow food in his neighborhood. Having grown up in the South Central Los Angeles food prison, Ron knew what it was like to drive 45 minutes just to get a fresh tomato. In low socio-economic neighborhoods it's much easier to find fast food, package stores and diabetes treatment clinics than wholesome groceries for your family. Through the Ron Finley Project, Ron's vision to rejuvenate communities through gardening and healthy eating has spread around the world, promoting a message of independence, knowledge, and social action.Finley has taught a MasterClass series , and his Ted Talk on guerrilla gardening has almost 4 million views. Learn more: https://ronfinley.com/ Our collaboration HERETIC X RON FINLEY "Plant Some Shit" candle is available for purchase for a limited time!

"Anyone else trying to reduce their alcohol intake? After a wine soaked lockdown-pandemic-blur I have been on the search for non-alcoholic alternatives with an edge. Join me as I dive into the aromatic aperitif known as Ghia, who has coined the phrase 'over the influence'" -DLIn this podcast we interview Melanie Masarin, founder Ghia. Like Heretic, this non-alcoholic beverage brand chooses to do things differently than the rest—with unapologetically bold flavors and unique natural ingredients that deliver a truly aromatic experience.

In this episode Dr. Anjanette DeCarlo shares her expertise on this fascinating perfume ingredient with us. Learn about the rich history of frankincense that goes back 6,000 yrs (making it the longest continually traded natural commodity known to humanity), its incredible medicinal properties, and her efforts with the Save Frankincense initiative to promote ethical sourcing. For us at Heretic, it's critical for us to make sure we're blending our fragrances with natural materials that are harvested in a way that respects both the earth and the communities working at the start of the supply chain. In this conversation, Anjanette dives into the social and environmental challenges facing the frankincense species, and explains how she's been able to use blockchain and empower communities to ensure responsible sourcing and sustainability.Anjanette received her doctorate in Natural Resources and Environment from the University of Vermont. She is a Lecturer on supply chains and anthropology at several colleges, and the Chief sustainability Scientist at the Aromatic Plant Research Center. Her work as the founder of the Save Frankincense initiative is what led us to her. Save Frankincense is a project aimed to protect the frankincense economy and ecosystem in Somaliland. Her work has been featured in publications like National Geographic and New York Times. 

Heretic Founder/Perfumer Douglas Little talks all things fragrance with Scentbird founder Mariya Nurislamova. Mariya is a lover of perfume and brilliant serial entrepreneur who has disrupted the beauty industry with Scentbird’s fragrance subscription service that allows customers to ‘date’ fragrances before marrying them. Her platform employs technology that makes smart recommendations to customers, opening up the world of perfume to a wider audience of people who want to experiment with fragrance and find their perfect signature scent. 

In this episode, we dive into the topic of dream analysis with expert Layne Dalfen. Layne founded the Dream Interpretation Center of Montreal in 1997 and has been a teacher, writer, consultant, and leader in the field of decoding dreams ever since. She contributes to the monthly column  “Understanding Dreams” in Psychology Today, and a bi-monthly “Dream Catcher” column for Oprah Daily. Her books Have a Great Dream: Books 1 & 2   guide the reader through the process of understanding our dreams in a refreshing and demystifying way that offers solutions to the problems in our lives. Learn more about Layne at thedreamanalyst.com.

What would Santa smell like? Up and down chimneys all night long, we think his scent may be far more subversive and complex than “cookies and candy canes”, which is why we’ve dreamt up this holiday season’s naughtiest fragrance: Dirty Santa. A smouldering blend of hickory and wood smoke laced with pine, warm clove, and oakmoss, and then finished off with a seductive hint of leather.In this podcast, listen to Heretic Founder/Perfumer Douglas Little tell the story behind his new Dirty Santa fragrance. 

Douglas Little, founder of Heretic Parfum, and Drew Martin, founder of the eponymous line of cannabis and botanical pre-rolls, are kindred spirits bonded by a shared belief that plants are magic. The two brands came together to create The Herbalist, a functional fragrance designed to enhance the wearer’s wellbeing, with hemp-derived CBD, hinoki wood, vetiver, and lavender absolute.In this podcast episode, the two brand founders dig into the philosophy behind what Drew Martin is doing in the cannabis industry as well as all the details of this new plant-based perfume. “As you immerse yourself in this expertly layered natural scent, our hope is that you experience a profound and intoxicatingly exquisite connection with the ancient practice of harnessing the goodness of plants, which for us is at the heart of everything we do." -DL 

Discover the origins of one of the most curious holidays on the calendar. Join Heretic Founder/Perfumer Douglas Little as he speaks with author and celebrated authority on the history of Halloween, the fabulous Lesley Bannatyne. From her contributions to the World Book Encyclopedia entry for Halloween, to her appearances on the History Channel's annual "Haunted History of Halloween" and the books she's written for both children and adults, Lesley is considered the foremost authority on Halloween. You can find her at  iskullhalloween.com and check out her latest book "Halloween Nation”.

Take a late-night motorcycle ride through a lush, dense pine forest with Poltergeist — a fragrance inspired by the physical energy of spirits themselves. A limited re-release of one of Douglas Little's first original creations, this perfume is part smoke, part green, and all wild magic. Listen to hear the full story behind this bold fragrance and what inspired it.

In this episode, Douglas talks with Dr. Nicki J Monti: a dear friend and wise mentor whose work as a therapist combines a no-nonsense approach with extraordinary compassion and humor. The topic of discussion is 'The Shadow', an unconscious part of every person that consists of our hidden or repressed negative emotions and personality traits. Just like the perfect perfume composition, there is no light without the dark. The shadow is important side of ourselves to explore in order to become whole, and that's what Dr. Nicki's 'shadow work' is all about.Dr. Nicki has a book series called 'Stuck No More', and has appeared on numerous TV shows such as Millionaire Matchmaker, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, and Love Handles. You can find more information on her website www.stucknomore.com.