If you’re a beauty lover (and in L.A.), there’s nothing quite like stepping into Violet Grey’s brick-and-mortar store on Melrose Place. It’s lined with mirrors, plush fabrics, black lacquer, and gold accents, and the impact upon entering the tucked-away threshold is something like how I imagine Cinderella felt upon entering Prince Charming’s castle. The retailer and its iconic code of honor (aptly called the Violet Code) are known for carrying only the crème de la crème, so when I found out a new-to-market fragrance brand was launching there exclusively (first in-store and now, thankfully, on the retailer’s website), I knew it had to be special.
In a very pinch-me-wow-I-freaking-love-my-job moment, I was invited to privately meet Perfumehead’s founder and CEO, Daniel Giles, to learn everything there was to know about the collection, which features seven truly magical fragrant works of art.
Just moments into our meeting, I was stunned by the thought and supreme intention that went into the brand and each scent’s careful creation. Not to mention I was completely mystified as to how I could have such a guttural oh-my-effing-god reaction to each and every perfume Giles put in front of me. As a picky, jaded editor, that never happens. Never! What I couldn’t get over, however, was how good Giles smelled. Almost immediately after we sat down, I asked which one he was wearing, and he revealed the ultimate plot twist: In the most magical of olfactory accidents, a member of the Violet Grey team had layered two Perfumehead scents (Canadian Tuxedo and Cosmic Cowboy), and the end result was some time of alchemic witchcraft Giles and I could not get over.
The rest is history, and I am now primally obsessed with the glittering bottles of Canadian Tuxedo and Cosmic Cowboy standing atop my vanity. Say what you want about other big players like Byredo, Le Labo, and MFK (I mean, I love them too), but Perfumehead is the newest, coolest fragrance on the block right now, and I guarantee that by reading this, you are the first in your circle to know.
According to Elena Vosnaki, author and senior editor at Fragrantica.com and founder of Perfumeshrine.com, Portrait of a Lady has been duped numerous times, and the inspiration behind the scent has to do with the burgeoning trend of Arabian-inspired perfumery. “The perfume deals with a rose note and spices in a new, modern way that varies between the oriental and chypre theme with patchouli, natural and intense, dominating the heart of the composition,” she explains. “It is Arabian-inspired but clearly aimed at Western consumers. In a way, it recalls older rose chypres, like L’Arte di Gucci and Parfum de Peau by Montana. Yet modernized without much of the bitter oakmoss note and the too heavy, dirty ‘animal’ background. It feels groomed, not lived in!”
Growing up, the bottles of body sprays, lotions, butters, and eau de toilettes that lined my bathroom vanity were far sweeter than a dessert-filled episode of The Great British Baking Show. My rotation typically included the latest cloyingly saccharine launch from Bath & Body Works; Britney Spears’s Fantasy (or Curious); a pure-sugar scent that, not surprisingly, was called Pink Sugar; and anything else my collection of glossy magazines like Seventeen, CosmoGirl, and Teen Vogue was advertising. If it smelled like a frosted bakehouse cookie with sprinkles or the Cinnabon stand at the mall, I was—without a doubt—wearing it.
I’ll always love unapologetically sweet scents, but now, my tastes have graduated to fragrance blends that are warm and woodsy or grounded with spices, leathers, or classic florals. That said, signature sweet notes like vanilla are often at the heart of my all-time-favorite perfumes. They’re just far less overpowering. Being a beauty editor and all, I always have an overflowing stock of perfumes, so I decided to start a little experiment earlier this year. Instead of sticking to my signature fragrances, I went on a perfume-wearing spree, if you will, in which I wore a different scent every day for about of month, taking note of which formulas I liked best and which blends won me the most questions, comments, and compliments. In review, I noticed something intriguing: The top 12 scents all had a common, not-so-secret ingredient, vanilla (a result that very much proved my hypothesis that vanilla is still relevant post–seventh grade and outside the kitchen).
Below, I’m sharing the top 12 fragrances I’m currently obsessed with and which never failed to earn me compliments from strangers and loved ones alike. Keep scrolling! The best vanilla perfumes lie just ahead.
We get it—holiday shopping can be so tough and overwhelming, especially if you’re on a budget and have a long list of folks to buy gifts for. Don’t worry, though. There are so many creative ways you can give next-level gifts without breaking the bank or seeming cheap. I should know. I’ve become somewhat of a pro at gift buying on a budget.
In the spirit of giving, I decided to share a few affordable beauty gift ideas that your friends and family will think you spent quite a few dollars on. Shhh, no one has to know. I also have to preface this by saying that I know the term “affordable” is relative. A few items on this list might be higher in price, but considering the brand and what’s offered, you’re still getting a hefty discount despite paying a few more bucks. Without further ado, keep scrolling for some luxury-looking items that won’t break the bank this year.
There have always been perfumes that take the world (or at least fragrance lovers) by storm. Those of us who existed in the ’90s and 2000s might recall the hype surrounding CK One, the world’s first marketed unisex scent. We might have begged our parents to buy us a bottle of Elizabeth Arden Sunflowers or Clinique Happy or the iconic Gap fragrances. Back then, we’d catch wind of these fragrances via TV commercials, magazine ads, or during trips to the department store beauty counter. But these days, all you have to do (aside from reading Who What Wear, ahem) is open up your TikTok app and see what’s trending on #PerfumeTok—though, I’m not talking about vabbing.
Granted, there are some major differences between the perfumes that were popular 20 years ago and the ones that are blessed with TikTok virality. One is the price point—a lot of TikTok-famous scents are niche and come with a hefty price tag, which is why I am here to guide you through some of the most popular perfumes on the clock app and help you know which scents are worth it. However, there are also some decently priced fragrance finds that have made it big. It’s really all about what you like. On that note, it’s a good reminder that fragrance is subjective, so a certain fragrance might be worth the money to me, but not to you, and vice versa!
The concept of this perfume is really cool: It’s supposed to remind you of skin, specifically the skin of a lover. Or an ex, perhaps? When I heard that, I was scared it was going to smell like Cool Water and Taco Bell. Now, let’s read the notes: skin musk, bergamot, jasmine, cyclamen, neroli, orange flower, sandalwood, blonde wood, white musk. To me, it smells like laundry and has a more masculine smell, so I suppose it could smell like somebody I used to know (cue Adele). I personally wouldn’t wear it (gourmand queen over here!), but I understand why people would be curious enough for it to sell out repeatedly. Hmm, if all of those people wear it, their lovers will think of them in the future when they smell it, and so on, and so on, so the cycle continues. Almost like a reverse Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Brilliant, if you ask me.
I’ve enjoyed every Ariana Grande fragrance I tried, and this one is no different. (I had two of her other scents on my desk at my old job as my “afternoon sprays.”) There are people out there who believe this to be an affordable version of Baccarat 540 (which we will talk more about in a sec below). While I can’t completely agree, I will say there are similarities. But you have to let it settle into your skin to fully experience it, as it can be intense at first spray. Top notes are lavender, bergamot, and pear, then it turns into coconut, praline, and vanilla orchid, ending with musk and woody notes. I’d say if you’re on a tight budget but are intrigued by Baccarat 540 and want a good gourmand, start with this one, but know that they are different!
These Sol de Janeiro sprays have me in a choke hold. They are not for the faint of heart, aka people who hate dessert scents. This one literally states “pistachio and salted caramel” on the bottle. I will say that ’71 is my favorite, but I love this one too, especially at $20 for the 90ml. While this one is body spray, you can also get the EDP. It’s definitely something I would have worn a lot more in my youth, but I can still appreciate it now. If you’re looking for more of a standard perfume (or hate extremely sweet scents), you may want to skip, but for the caramel lovers, please enjoy.
The name of this perfume doesn’t have to do with Penn Badgley, unfortunately. It’s named You because of the way that it’s supposed to adapt to your skin, resulting in it smelling different on everyone—almost like a “custom” fragrance. It is a completely different fragrance than anything I own. It’s bright and fresh because of the pink pepper note and also contains ambrette, ambrox, and iris. I like the clean, showery-fresh vibe of You. Although, it’s not my personal favorite. Still, I’ve worn this multiple times. For a gourmand girl, that’s a big deal!
J’adore Miss Dior. This is a classique floral fragrance that got a reboot in 2021 by François Demachy, and the reboot works, honey. Even though this has rose notes (Centifolia rose, to be exact), I haven’t had any headache issues with it, thank goddess. Other notes include iris, peony and lily-of-the-valley, then apricot, and peach, drying down with vanilla, tonka bean, sandalwood, musk. It smells floral, sweet, powdery, and creamy.
Now this isn’t a gourmand, so it isn’t my usual type of scent, but there’s something appealing about Gypsy Water. It initially comes off bright with its bergamot and lemon notes but dries down into incense and then into the amber and sandalwood. I have a big thing for incense; it’s sexy! I feel like if you also have a thing for it, or woody scents in general, you have to add this to your cart.
I’m a big fan of Parfums de Marly Oriana ($175) and was excited for this sweet, floral scent. I understand why it’s so popular on TikTok. It smells divine! There are notes of rhubarb, lychee, bergamot, Turkish rose, peony, Vanilla, musk, cashmeran, and vetiver. Unfortunately, I may be sensitive to heavy rose fragrances! I’m so bummed. But I still think it’s wonderful. If you love rose scents and have the chemistry for it, I can’t recommend this enough. I’m actually heartbroken that I can’t wear it. Have they invented some sort of shot (like allergies) that will desensitize me to rose? I’ll do it…
Where are all my fruity fragrance lovers at? This is a fantastic fragrance from Vilhelm Parfumerie that lives in the fruity gourmand category. While it’s called Mango Skin, it’s not super straightforward with the main fruit like, for instance, Tom Ford’s Lost Cherry. Instead, it’s a combination of fruit and sugar but doesn’t come across as a fructose overdose. The blackberry note is also evident, and it dries down into dessert: patchouli, vanilla, and pink sugar. It’s a dream scent, especially for warmer weather wear.
This newer perfume from the YSL fragrance family was a nice surprise for me. At first, you get hit with the lavender note, which I’ve discovered to be one of my favorite non-gourmand notes. Then it settles into a warm, woody vibe thanks to the vanilla musk. It’s the perfect balance of floral and sweet. It’s sleek and not at all granny-like, which people tend to think of when it comes to lavender. Plus, the bottle is so chic! Definitely a must for the floral gourmand fiends.
Baccarat Rouge 540, a collaboration between Maison Francis Kurkdjian and the French fine crystal brand Baccarat, is known to the TikTok girlies as the perfume that makes you “smell rich.” And at almost $350, I can see why! It definitely goes through a journey on my skin—it can be floral, woody, and even a little medicinal at times but overall is sweet. While it is not technically a gourmand, it is a very sweet and sugary fragrance, most likely due to the ambroxan. There are similar fragrances out there (some people claim that Ariana Grande Cloud, which I talked about above, is a decent dupe) but is definitely in a world of its own. It’s mysterious and complex, but not for everyone.
A longtime favorite of mine (I gave it a Beauty Crush Award when I was at HelloGiggles), Black Opium is a sophisticated fruity, vanilla and amber scent that is to die for. I have it in my “going-out perfume” category because it’s the type of perfume to put on when I know I’m going to have a good time.
When Lost Cherry first debuted in 2018, I remember it being a little controversial because the thought of a cherry-scented perfume made people pause. (One friend was afraid it would smell like cough medicine.) The thing is, Lost Cherry isn’t sickly sweet, nor does it remind me of cherry lip balm. While It is undoubtedly a straight-forward cherry scent, it’s darker, mature, and dries down into a warm, woody smell. I love how unique that is. When it first came out, I wore it every single day for months and still reach for it often. If you aren’t into cherries, pass, but if you are, this is a special scent that should be in your fragrance closet if you’re willing to spend the dough.
I love the smell of being in the woods and sitting around the bonfire, except I hate when the smoke gets in my hair. By the Fireplace is the answer to my dilemma. It envelops you in a comforting, warm, woody cloud that captures the essence of being in a log cabin in the woods without all the dusty smoke. The clove, orange blossom, and vanilla notes are a glorious symphony for my nostrils. No joke. I’m so obsessed with this fragrance and have been for a few years now. My husband and I even share it.
I’ll be honest. When I first heard the rumor that Love, Don’t Be Shy was Rihanna’s signature scent, I was immediately intrigued. Who wouldn’t want to know what theeRiRi smelled like? But then I read the notes (orange blossom, neroli, and marshmallow, my favorite) and knew this was going to be sumthin’ personal. After all, I am a lover of the gourmand! I’ve come to terms that I am always going to be searching for a “grown-up version” of Aquolina Pink Sugar, which was my own signature scent from the late aughts, and Love, Don’t Be Shy is currently that for me. After I got a sample and used it up fast, I knew it was my perfume soulmate. I bought it as a gift “from me to me” (I did the same exact thing with Rihanna’s actual scent, Fenty Eau de Parfum) and never looked back. If you have the same exact fragrance preferences as me: dessert-y gourmand or marshmallow note fan, then this is absolutely worth the moola.
At WWW, we’re pros at two things: Shopping (obviously) and sniffing out the latest and greatest scents to hit the market. In case you thought our love for fragrances stopped at eau de parfums, think again. There’s another category of fragrance that we absolutely lose our minds over and that’s candles. No matter the season, we aim to not only smell incredible ourselves, but to also have a home that’s filled with the soft, alluring scent of someone who really has their shit together.
Winter, specifically, is the perfect season for this. The weather is chilly, the wind is high, and that candle collection you’ve been waiting to bust out will fill the room with freshness and wonder. When friends come over, they know they’re in for a cozy treat. That being said, there’s such an array of winter-themed candles out there that it can be tough to know which ones are actually worth adding to your arsenal. Luckily, that’s what our trusty team of editors is here for. We happen to be experts in the matter and can confidently provide recs. Keep scrolling—we’re sharing all our favorite winter candles that set the chicest winter vibe below.
I might have expensive taste when it comes to perfume, but Maison Margiela’s cult-loved line of eau de toilettes called Replica is the rare breed of fragrance that smells worthy of a $300 price tag but is actually less than half of that. The cozy, time-and-place-inspired collection features some of the most beloved scents in the industry (ahem, By the Fireplace will always be a classic), but at just $135 a bottle, it’s also one of the most cost-effective ways to smell really, really good without sacrificing your bank account’s well-being. Think about it this way: If you were to give yourself one healthy spritz per day, that breaks down to just 37 cents per wear. I mean, how can you resist that? So as an ode to our love for Replica, we reached out to Maison Margiela HQ for an official ranking of the most popular Replica perfumes to date. Curious to see which bottle is taking home the gold? Keep scrolling! Plus, discover the 12 runners-up you also need on your fradar. (Fragrance plus radar—get it?)
One of the biggest beauty bummers is when you find the perfect fragrance—whether it’s sweet and gourmand, woody and cozy, or any other scent profile—and it doesn’t last. You spritz it on in the morning, and less than an hour later, it’s like it’s totally dissipated from your clothes and skin. Sure, you can carry your perfume with you, but who wants to do that? Not only are they traditionally encased in heavy glass, but it’s also quite the risk to spill a potent perfume in your favorite bag.
What you should do instead is opt for a hair perfume. If you’ve never used one before, the concept might sound a little strange—even kind of pointless—but we swear they last longer than traditional fragrances. Plus, there’s something to be said about the intoxicating effect of hair perfume. Imagine, a breeze ruffles your hair and a delicate, sweetly scented fragrance wafts up to envelop you. Who doesn’t want that? Without further ado, keep scrolling to see our 15 favorite hair perfumes. These are the ones we use on repeat.
When I was a kid, my grandfather was somewhat of a cigar aficionado—I spent many an afternoon watching him comb the shelves of his favorite cigar shop, searching for rare finds. This probably explains my proclivity for looking for tobacco notes in perfumes, as these notes tend to remind me of a specific moment in time.
Luckily, tobacco notes in fragrance seem to resonate with other people, too. Every time I wear a fragrance with tobacco notes in it, it’s almost guaranteed that someone will ask me to tell them what fragrance I have on. Keep reading for the top ten fragrances that have tobacco notes and what makes them smell so alluring.
Your skin deserves the VIP treatment. When deciding which beauty products to invest in, pausing to consider how your skin may respond to a fragrance may not always be a top priority for all perfume wearers. But for people who have sensitive skin, knowing which fragrances won’t irritate your skin is a game-changer.
While the word “hypoallergenic” is tricky when it comes to perfume (fragrances are known allergens, after all!), there are some perfumes that are better for sensitive, allergy-prone skin than others.
When shopping for perfume, be sure to read the label if you fall on the sensitive side. Try to avoid perfumes that have ingredients such as acetone, linalool, phthalates, and parabens. These ingredients can irritate allergy-prone skin. Take the time to discover perfumes that are safe to use. Believe me—your skin will thank you in the long run! Read on to see the perfumes and brands that are best for allergy-prone, sensitive skin.
Photo: Giorgio Perottino/Getty Images for Fondazione Prada
These are the stories making headlines in fashion on Wednesday.
Why Prada is appointing new leadership As announced Tuesday, Patrizio Bertelli and Miuccia Prada are appointing Andrea Guerra CEO of Prada Group. The shift comes as Bertelli, aged 76, and Prada, 73, are preparing to pass the reins on to the family’s next generation. (Their son, Lorenzo Bertelli, 34, has taken on an influential role at the company since 2017.) While the younger Bertelli is projected to take over Prada within the next few years, the company plans on first appointing external talent before easing into its new generation. “The market is likely to react positively to the management changes. While Lorenzo Bertelli has been instrumental in some of the initiatives of the group… it would have likely been too early for him to take on the role as group CEO,” says UBS analyst Susy Tibaldi. {Business of Fashion}
Chanel’s Éric Pfrunder has passed away Éric Pfrunder, Chanel‘s director of images for three decades and Karl Lagerfeld‘s close creative partner, passed away on Monday at the age 74. According to his son Jasper, Pfrunder had been suffering from a longtime illness. Throughout his prolific career, Pfrunder and Lagerfeld produced a range of editorial shoots for magazines such as American Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar. “Eric was a precious member of the Karl Lagerfeld family, he will be sorely missed and will always be remembered as a crucial part of Karl’s history,” says Pier Paolo Righi, chief executive officer of Karl Lagerfeld. {WWD}
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What’s driving renewed interest in perfume? While scent may not have previously been a priority when getting ready, the past few years have brought about a surge of interest in perfume. The trend is spearheaded by enthusiastic young people on social platforms like Twitter and TikTok, as well as the rise of scent podcasts and even emerging fragrance influencers. “I think a lot of it does have to do with, oddly, the brandification of yourself as an individual. Scent is just the next dimension of how you represent yourself and how you express yourself…” says Tynan Sinks, host of the podcast “Smell Ya Later.” Brands like Fragrantica and Soliani are creating new palettes of unfamiliar scents that cater to every demographic, leading to this renewed interest in personalized scents. {Nylon}
I’m not sure when, where, or why, but somewhere along the line, perfume gift sets began to accumulate a bum rap in terms of their giftability. Deeming them cliché, cheesy, or lazy, some people seem to think perfume sets, and fragrances in general, are an easy way out—thoughtless, they might say. However, we very much beg to differ.
First, wearing and choosing a fragrance is one of the most intimate and personalized ways to adorn and express yourself, and thus, gifting a fragrance, if some thought is put forward as to who your giftee is, is highly personal. So there’s that. Second, we don’t know about you, but perfume is one of those random categories of beauty we don’t necessarily splurge on for ourselves. A mascara that we’ll wear every day? Of course. A serum that claims to give us baby angel skin? Why not? But an expensive scent we may only wear on special occasions or when we’re feeling a certain way? Eek, immediate balk. Thus, gifting a loved one a beautiful, high-quality perfume set is a great way to show your love and appreciation for them, and we have a hunch it will make them feel downright special.
To lend a helping hand as people who receive, test, sniff, and sort all the best fragrances for a living, we’re featuring 25 of the best perfume gift sets we’d personally love to receive this season. From warm and spicy to fresh and clean to a little bit of everything, we’ve got your back. Keep scrolling!
You know how certain things just make you feel more informed about people, like their yearly Spotify Wrapped reveal or their favorite comfort food? In the realm of beauty, the equivalent to that are the luxury products that have stuck in people’s minds for years. When I meet a fellow beauty lover, I love asking them which high-end products have burrowed themselves into their minds and taken hold.
When I was young, I spent my weekends milling around through Sephora, bee-lining to the luxury face creams and creating a full face with the samples. When I first started being able to buy higher-end beauty products (or beg for them as gifts) I shopped strategically—so much so that the luxury products I was obsessed with at age 16 are still mainstays in my beauty routine. I decided to ask the beauty editors on my team if there were products they felt the same way about, and their answers did not disappoint. Keep reading for the first luxury beauty products we ever purchased and just can’t seem to shake.
If you’re anything like me and have 100 gifts to buy between now and the end of the year, the situation has gotten pretty urgent. You need gifts that are classic, thoughtful, stylish, and personal—and the only category I can think of that checks all of these boxes is fragrance. I just hit up Sephora (I forgot how fabulous its fragrance section is), and I was reminded that perfume is actually the best gift you can give someone. You can cater the scent you buy to their personality (or even to a memory), and honestly, it doesn’t get much more personal than that.
So my gift to you is an expertly curated list of the eight very best fragrances I found at Sephora. They’ll make everyone on your list very happy, whether you’re searching for a scent for your homebody friend, the one with impeccable style, or anyone in between. I’ve even got something for that outdoorsy friend. (We all have one.) Keep reading for the best personalized fragrance gifts.
As both a beauty lover and a bookworm, finding an intersection between the two can be difficult. That’s when I find a good beauty book, my excitement levels spike through the roof.
Below, find the best beauty-centric books out there for the avid reader who also happens to love makeup, skincare, fragrance, or hair. Whether you’re more interested in a book exploring the origins and staying power of red lipstick or a book about the politics and history of Black hair, there’s something for everyone on this list.
We love all things beauty here at Who What Wear, but if there’s anything we love above all, it’s fragrance. We could talk about fragrance for hours on end and would not get sick of it. We’re constantly Slacking about new fragrance launches, our favorite perfumes of all time, and how a certain scent smells on our body chemistry. It’s truly a lifestyle.
I personally use fragrance as a way to enhance however I feel that day. When I first started wearing perfume, I wanted to find a signature scent or something I could wear every day that would remind people of me. (Funnily enough, I chose Tom Ford Black Orchid, which you’ll find on this list.) As I got older, I realized that fragrance could be more than something someone remembers about you. Fragrance can be a form of self-expression—the perfect finishing touch to an outfit, a way to evoke an old memory or a way to match how you feel.
Senior beauty editor Erin Jahns feels the same way about fragrance that I do. We set some time aside to decide definitively what we think the best fragrances of all time are. Don’t worry—we’ll still Slack back and forth about perfume, but now we have a guide to reference as a starting point.
Anyone who knows me will tell you I never shut up about Viktor & Rolf perfumes. I have two that are always in my top five fragrance rotations, and I truly never get sick of them. Before giving any of the brand’s bestsellers a sniff, I think I got ideas in my head about how they would smell. I honestly wasn’t sure if I’d fall in love with any of them after looking at the notes because they seemed pretty standard, but, boy, was I wrong. They’re now some of the best designer perfumes I own and I’ll openly admit I was pleasantly surprised by how unique each one turned out to be.
If you’re in the market for a sgnature scent, Viktor & Rolf fragrances should definitely be kept top of mind. You’ll also be pleasantly surprised to learn that each is one-of-a-kind and truly worthy of a spot on your vanity. Keep scrolling for all the best ones to add to your collection.
We know it’s hard to find the right gifts for your loved ones, so we’ve compiled a ton of fashion and beauty-focused gift guides tailored to a range of interests and budgets. Check out our latest below and find more right here.
A candle may not immediately seem like the most creative holiday gift option — cue “Saturday Night Live”‘s peach candle song (a tragically under-appreciated sketch). But just because something is a bit cliché doesn’t mean it’s not also a classic and a crowd pleaser. It’s just about finding the right scent and vibe for the giftee.
Do your loved ones crave traditionally festive holiday scents — balsam firs! cloves! juniper berries! latkes! — this time of year? There’s a candle (or 12) for that. Or perhaps they prefer something a little more off-kilter and unexpected: That’s your opportunity to swoop in with a candle inspired by charred marshmallows, just-cut grass or a freshly popped can of tennis balls. If your goal is to show them just how well you know them, though, this is also your chance to wrap up a candle-ified version of their signature Glossier or Maison Francis Kurdjian perfume.
In the gallery below, we’ve rounded up 24 joy-sparking options that prove candles can make one hell of a holiday gift. And not one of them is peach scented, for the record.
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Of all the psychological benefits beauty products can provide — from a gorgeous lipstick that affirms one’s gender identity to a go-to curl cream that helps improve both a bad hair day and confidence levels — fragrance has always struck me as one of the most influential. A beauty nerd by trade, I’ve amassed quite the elaborate (some might say obsessive) collection of scents that I treat not dissimilarly from my clothing wardrobe, choosing which notes best convey how I’m feeling on a given day. Even if your fragrance wardrobe isn’t as extensive as mine, the practice of selecting a perfume based on mood isn’t that uncommon.
As fragrance brands strive to develop products that can attract consumers in a very crowded marketplace, incorporating more advanced aromachology (the study of the connection between odors and human behavior and emotions) into new formulas is becoming increasingly popular. That’s why I was eager to see how The Nue Co.‘s latest release, Water Therapy, compared to its previous three “functional” fragrance options, and whether it would elicit a different emotional response.
But first: How exactly does fragrance have an effect on mood? Memory, emotion and scent are all closely linked, according to Venkatesh Murthy, Raymond Leo Erikson Life Sciences Professor and chair of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at Harvard. During a 2020 panel discussion titled, “Olfaction in Science and Society,” he explained that odors travel through the limbic system, the part of the brain involved with emotion, memory, and behavior. That’s why many of us have scents that precipitate a memory or two, like smelling an ex-partner’s shampoo in a crowded elevator, or the way a restaurant’s new dish can take you back to cooking at your grandmother’s house as a kid. Complex feelings like heartbreak, happiness and love can get tangled up in these moments of olfactory interaction.
Photo: Courtesy of The Nue Co.
As for designing a perfume that will trigger a specific emotion, it’s first crucial to understand the link between scent notes and cognitive response. When developing her first scent for The Nue. Co, called Functional Fragrance, founder Jules Miller looked to the Geneva Emotion and Odor Scale (GEOS) which was “developed to measure the subjective affective experience elicited by everyday odors.”
Whereas earlier scent studies often asked participants to select emotions from a list of 22-480 possible options (like fear, anger, sadness, pride, love, desire and more), the GEOS utilizes 36 representative terms within six groupings: Sensuality, Relaxation, Pleasant, Refreshment, Sensory pleasure and Unpleasant feeling. In other words, the nuanced manner of attributing scent with emotional response is becoming easier to navigate with tools like this study, and that, in turn, equates to more advanced perfumes for aromachology buffs.
Water Therapy, The Nue Co.’s newest release, is inspired by so-called “blue medicine,” or the “belief that water positively impacts our mental health with its relaxing, stress-relieving benefits,” per the brand. The scent uses olfactory technology to simulate the feeling of being surrounded by water. With calming notes of seaweed, cardamom, vetiver, sandalwood, salt, and rose, it is designed to soothe tension, balance mood and reduce stress — all things the average New Yorker like myself could benefit from on a daily basis.
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If, like me, you categorize the ocean, a pool, or really any body of water that you can lazily flop into as a happy place, you’ll absolutely feel drawn to Water Therapy. I’d equate it to that crisp, earthy smell after it rains on a cold spring morning when you know a lake is nearby — all soothing elements that I’d swear can lower my blood pressure.
Photo: Courtesy of The Nue Co.
I’ve gotten to try out this new scent and, compared with my experience using a previous perfume from the brand, Mind Energy — which is designed to increase focus and boost brain function — Water Therapy definitely makes me feel more inclined to slow down and chill. Whereas the former is my fragrance of choice on mornings when my iCal is scheduled down to the minute and multiple deadlines are looming, the latter is for when I can finally close my laptop and exit the solitude of my workspace to enjoy a meal with close friends. It’s languid and gentle, and I find that I’m constantly bringing my wrist to my nose to inhale the scent, which I’ve found honestly only gets better as my skin heats up throughout the day.
Only time will tell if The Nue Co.’s latest release will lower my stress levels and help me relax in the long term, but I’m definitely going to enjoy working my way through the vivid azure bottle to find out.
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Ashley Benson is officially getting into beauty. And she’s doing so via a route plenty of celebrities have taken before: On Tuesday, the actor introduced ASH by Ashley Benson, an eponymous fragrance brand that also marks her first-ever solo business venture. (She had previously co-founded sunglasses label Privé Revaux in 2017 and craft spirits brand Thomas Ashbourne earlier this year.)
ASH by Ashley Benson’s debut range includes two scents, with additional fragrances set to launch in 2023. There’s East 12th, a rose-and-cedar blend inspired by New York City’s East Village, and The Eighth, a mix of bergamot, musk and cashmere wood inspired by Paris’ Eighth Arrondissement.
Photo: Courtesy of ASH by Ashley Benson
According to Benson, scent has played an important role in her life. As she tells Fashionista, it was her grandmother who first got her interested in personal fragrance at a young age. Then, in adulthood, Benson began to experiment with mixing and layering different perfumes on her own. “All my friends and people I worked with would ask me what I was wearing,” she says. “They would say that I’d leave this scent every time I walk into the room, or whenever I left my jacket on set or something. I never told anybody [what I was wearing], though, because I didn’t want anyone to steal my formula.”
This passion for scents, combined with Benson’s love of world travel, serves as the basis for the brand. Benson was visiting Morocco three years ago when the idea to create a fragrance brand first struck her, she tells Fashionista.
“I went Morocco on vacation and I happened to go to a fragrance merchant there in Marrakesh,” she recalls, noting that she bonded with the merchant for hours. “That’s when I first started to smell all kinds of different notes, and I actually created my own scent there for the first time. Literally two months after that, I got a call about doing a fragrance line, and I immediately said yes.”
In a span of 21 months, during which the fragrances went through more than 60 rounds of product testing, Benson reimagined some of the scents she had encountered during that trip to Morocco — and yet the resulting eaus harken to New York and Paris instead.
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“I just want people to feel confident and in their own element while wearing this perfume and knowing that they can afford it,” she says. “I want people to wear these perfumes and remember where they were when they wore them. Fragrance, in general, is a very personal thing to put out there, and I’m happy I got to tell my story within it.”
Benson has dubbed The Eighth her personal favorite because it “takes me back to all the memories I’ve had in Paris,” she says, citing frequent stays at Hotel Costes. The color of the fragrance bottle is actually based on the French hotspot’s black lacquered walls and red velvet couches. “Every time I’m in Paris, it just brings me back to the energy there. It’s sexy, it’s intimate and it’s very much my vibe, so I wanted to reflect that in this scent.”
Photo: Courtesy of ASH by Ashley Benson
East 12th, Benson’s other inaugural perfume, references New York City, which the Los Angeles native has called home for the last six years. “I felt kind of thrown into the city, especially without really knowing the ins and outs of it,” she remembers of the time when she first arrived. “I didn’t really have a lot of friends when I moved here, either, so I spent a lot of time to myself exploring the city and finding who I am as an adult going into my 30s. Obviously, you’re so different in your early 20s, and I think it was really necessary for me to do. I feel very much in my element here and in every facet creatively, I thrive here more than I do in L.A.”
When asked to pair each scent with one of her on-screen characters, Benson assigns The Eighth to Hanna Marin from Freeform’s “Pretty Little Liars,” but adds that she’d probably wear both of them. As for East 12th? “I feel like [it] would definitely be Brit from ‘Spring Breakers,’” says Benson. “I also just finished an upcoming Amazon Prime Video series, and the character reminds me of her. She’s just very elegant and stylish and kind of gives me off more of a European vibe, so I think that character would be The Eighth, too.”
ASH by Ashley Benson fragrances will retail for $79 (for the 50mL bottles) and $25 (for the 8mL bottles). They are available Tuesday on ASHbyAshleyBenson.com, and will launch on Scentbird’s direct-to-consumer fragrance subscription platform on Thursday, Nov. 17.
