Earlier this summer, I discovered a new collection of fragrances that honestly moved me. They’re exquisitely crafted, extremely luxurious, and are real standouts from any other fragrances of the year. Let me explain why (yes, here’s where I get weird about fragrances and the power that they wield over all of us.
Or perhaps just me.)
Fragrances are all about setting a mood, creating a feeling that would otherwise not exist without that scent. Fragrances play a big part in your life, and you may not even realize it until years later when you smell a certain scent and it brings you back to a specific time, the memory almost palpable. What else has the power to do that? Besides the cheap flavored vodka you drank in college. (UV Blue, for me.)
For example, earlier this week, this guy walked by me wearing a scent that a guy that I dated used to wear. I got a whiff of his cologne, and I swear to god it was like a ghost walked up to me and kicked me straight in the dick.
Fragrances make you feel, whether you want to or not.
Every so often, we are lucky enough to find a fragrance that really harnesses its own power in ways other than just how it smells. Its name, the shape of the bottle, its ad campaign. All of these things, created to make you want to buy the fragrance, are no less important to the fragrance itself. YSL’s In Love Again comes to mind. The name In Love Again makes it so much more appealing than whatever combination of “Daisy Gold Candy Sport” that we see on every other perfume. I would buy that damn fragrance just for the name, but luckily I don’t have to, my mom already owns it because she has amazing taste.
Where do you think I get it from?
When I discovered the Liaison de Parfum collection, I knew I was in some deep trouble because I was looking at four fragrances that were all inspired by love. Different kinds of love, different stages of love, about remembering your first big love, or anticipating your next. They are charming, flirty, sexy, daring, and they might just be turning into my favorite collection…ever.
OKAY SO.
The one that caught my eye initially was Stay With Me, mostly because “stay” is my favorite word in the English language and I wasn’t totally sick of that Sam Smith song yet.
Stay With Me captures the moment when you realize that you’re in too deep. When the sunset is always pink. That intense and sick time when, in every good moment, you’re wishing he or she was with you, because their presence would make a good moment even better. And when they are with you, you want nothing more than for them to stay.
That might make this fragrance sound young and doe-eyed, but trust, Stay With Me is GROWN. The most apparent top note is jasmine, though what makes noticeable is how the other top notes, citrus and salt, take it from a boring floral to a soft, sweet introduction. These blend nicely into the heart of the scent, which consists of orange flower, rose, and lily. This flowery middle might be overpowering for people who don’t like florals (me) if it wasn’t for the dreamy base notes; musk, vanilla, cedar, and amber. You could put almost ANYTHING on top of those four and it would still make for a killer perfume.
Stay With Me has great stay power without being overbearing. You’ll smell it on you all day, but you’ll never get sick of it.
Our next scent is I Dare You.
Omg, I Dare You.
Let’s get this part out of the way. Liaison de Parum lists the notes as follows:
Top: citrus and spices
Middle: sandalwood, patchouli and vetiver
Base: wood, leather, amber
Nah. This is what I Dare You is really like.
I Dare You smells how your lover’s body tastes the morning after a night of partying, booze, and sex. It smells like the reason you don’t get out of bed until 1 p.m. on a Sunday.
I’m listening to Beyoncé’s “Rocket” right now, if you want to join me in this particular state of mind. “LET ME SIT THIS AAAAAAAA-ASS…ON YOU.”
It’s spicy, for sure, but there’s also a prominent sweetness that’s not really accounted for in the company’s description, which is why I’m writing such a weird one of my own. It’s almost syrupy sweet, like a spiced rum or an Irish whiskey, where the sweetness almost balances out the burn of the liquor. The spice and patchouli are the perfect pairing, balancing the sweetness without dulling it, and the wood and leather at its base anchor it so it doesn’t get cloying after a day of wear.
It's sweet, spicy, a little smoky, and a lot carnal. I’ve had it on all day and frankly I don’t ever want to take it off.
Resist Me
Resist Me is that guy that you definitely should have RESISTED. It’s every bad boy we’ve ever slept with in one bottle. Lucky us.
Resist Me begins with bergamot, lemon, tangerine, lavender -- like a gin & tonic with a splash of Saint Germain. In the middle there is cedar, patchouli, iris, and geranium, and at the base is sandalwood, musk, and leather. Emphasis on leather.
Resist Me is like a worn-in leather jacket that reeks of cigarette smoke and gasoline. He’s that guy. It’s a grimey scent, dark and cold. It’s dangerous, which makes it all the more appealing. Don’t get me wrong, “bad boys” are a waste of our time, as are all boys in general, myself included, but sometimes, smelling like a bad boy is enough to satiate your appetite for one.
Finally, we’ve got the fairest of them all, No Matter What.
It’s soft and sweet, a classic scent re-imagined. It’s like wearing your grandmother’s favorite perfume, but without smelling like an old lady I’M SORRY BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN. Shout out old ladies.
No, but I really love this one, too. It jumps off with coriander and bergamot, giving way to jasmine and peach, held down at the base by musk, patchouli, and vetiver.
On my skin, you get more of the coriander, peach, and musk. It’s light, sparkly, and airy. When I smell it, I think “mimosa.” It’s a really lovely scent, ideal for spring and summer or whatever but it’s so good that you’ll want to wear it all year round.
The Liaison de Parfum collection will run you $165 per bottle, but stunting is priceless. It's available on a couple choice places around the Internet, my favorite being LuckyScent.com. They didn’t pay me to say that, it’s just my favorite place to buy fragrances so check them out.
What scents are you currently into? What are you wearing right now? Am I a total freak show for being this into perfume? Tell me in the comments!
Tynan smells great on Twitter @TynanBuck.