Scents and Sensibility
Where’d you get that?
ESCENTRIC O2 - ESCENTRIC MOLECULES
I first heard about Escentric Molecules in this NYTimes interview with Awkwafina on her beauty regimen. Then I read Natalie Toren’s Strategist article about perfumes for people who hate smelling like perfume. The concept of a subtle, intimate, your-skin-but-better fragrance was absolutely revolutionary to me, who, up until recently, had trying to smell as saccharine as possible.
My curiosity piqued, I procured samples of Escentric’s Molecule 01 and Juliette Has a Gun’s Not a Perfume, both of which contain just one element — ISO E Super and Cetalox, respectively. And they smelled...nice! Lovely! Perfectly serviceable on their own, but especially pleasant when layered under other scents, which helps give them a boost.
But single-note perfumes are kind of like a one-trick pony. The opening and the dry down are nearly identical; there’s not a lot of depth, complexity, or artistry to them. Enter Escentric 02, which Natalie was kind enough to gift me a sample of when we met up (!!)
Escentric 02 mixes Molecule 02, which is pure ambroxan, with other compounds such as vetiver, muscone, elderflower, orris, and hedione. The scent is rich, heady, layered; a bit citrusy, a bit floral. I also get whiffs of a rubber tire smell, like the Michelin warehouse, which is definitely polarizing but a plus for me — I loved going in there as a kid. But the best part was when I went to the post office to pick up a package and the woman helping me said, “What perfume are you wearing? It smells very nice.”
I’m obsessed with:
WATERMELON GLOW SLEEPING MASK - GLOW RECIPE
I’ve been slowly working my way through the 5 million samples I amassed at Sephoria, the beauty retailer’s annual extravaganza (which, if you’re so inclined, you can read my review of here). So far, so meh — nothing irritated me, but nothing merited game-changer distinction — until last week, when I decided to break out Glow Recipe’s Watermelon Sleeping Mask. I smeared it on without much expectation and went to bed. When I woke up in the morning, my face was so smooth and soft to the touch, I audibly gasped. My skin is normally very dry and flaky, but these days it’s plump and glowy and hydrated. I literally cannot stop stroking my cheeks and marveling. Holy grail status: achieved.
On my wish list:
FURRY CASHMERE LONG COLLARLESS COAT - MANSUR GAVRIEL
Remember those I.AM.GIA teddy bear jackets that were all the rage last winter? Mansur Gavriel saw that and raised us this furry cashmere coat, an elevated update on the cheap clout-chasing versions that were popping up on every influencer’s Instagram page. The coat hits at the knees and buttons up the front, with hidden slit pockets that are deep and spacious, perfect for burying your hands in. It’s elegant, it’s classy, it’s sophisticated, it’s gorgeous; I imagine wearing this coat is akin to snuggling with a sheep in need of a trim. Alas, the coat is 85% cashmere, 15% silk, and 100% out of my price range.