This Beloved “If You Know, You Know” Perfume Smells Like Plastic, and I Love It

Seemingly built for long days in the great outdoors, Sunscreen wears for four to six hours—much less if you’re dipping in and out of the pool it begs to be worn in. There’s a faint, skin-like smell mixed with coconut that dries down after the initial projection fades away about an hour or two in. 

Aside from the kitschy styrofoam packaging Sunscreen comes in, the fragrance’s sleek, discreet bottle is easily transportable. Although I wouldn’t recommend throwing it in haphazardly packed luggage for an international flight, the no-frills design meant I wasn’t constantly worried the bottle would break when I took it with me for overnight and weekend-long trips. 

Unlike a few other signature scents I’ll wear for special occasions or on nights out, Sunscreen’s mild scent makes it an everyday fragrance for me. It’s not a punchy fragrance. Frankly, most people besides those you’re quite familiar with won’t notice it’s there after the initial spritz. At the end of the day, though, I’m wearing perfume for myself. Sunscreen’s subtle aroma feels like the olfactory version of a slight head nod and a knowing wink you’d get from someone you’re sharing an inside joke with. If you know, you know, and if you don’t, you don’t.

While there are a few scents and perfume houses the fashion crowd always swears by (Le Labo’s Santal 33 is becoming a cult classic among skaters and art gallery owners), Comme des Garçons Parfums and ERL’s collaborative scent is an underground favorite. Long gone are the days of head rush–inducing, mass-marketed fruity and floral scents. Summer break (and Sunscreen) forever.