"I Wanna Drown Myself In a Bottle of Her Perfume"
Welcome to the edition of Middle Notes where you might learn too much about me mostly in terms of my fandoms, which there are many, but you’ll only learn about one.
What I’m Wearing (Vintage Edition)
Bond No. 9 NoMad: I decided to do a throwback for this week of something I haven’t worn in awhile—Bond No. 9 NoMad. I really love scents that smell like what an imaginary boyfriend would smell like and NoMad hits that for me. It’s spicy and a lil smoky and sweet but has a lot of depth to it. The notes seem like they would maybe be a bit more floral or sweet since there’s rose, vanilla, pear, and quince in it. However, I think the amber, violet leaf, and oud accord add to that depth and spiciness. I am curious how it would smell on a man. Someone get a man to try it and report back.
Let’s Talk About Harry Styles’s Pleasing
One thing to know about me is that I’m a Harry Styles fan. I don’t want to get into the details but some of the depths of my fandom would likely shock and horrify. So of course I’ve followed Harry’s (yes, we are on a first-name basis) foray into everything—acting, fashion, and beauty. His beauty line, Pleasing, which first launched in 2021 with nail polish, a serum, and eye gel/lip oil. I really liked this first round of products that I was able to try because I received the box to try them. Since then I’ve been curious about getting some of the other nail polish colors and frankly a lot of the apparel. If anyone wants to get me the Fancy Friends t-shirt, I wouldn’t say no. And just this week, they launched Ribbed, a loungewear/underwear line.
When Pleasing launched fragrance in November 2023, I knew I had to check it out. Three scents were released: Bright Hot, Rivulets, and Closeness. So I did what any irresponsible freelance writer would do, put it on my credit card.
Thankfully, I didn’t have to try these scents on my own. The brilliant Ms. Brittany Spanos, a writer at Rolling Stone and fellow Harry stan (she’s actually profiled him before), joined me on the journey to test out Harry’s foray into scent. Here’s an edited version of our conversation.
Kerensa Cadenas: We both love Harry Styles and I know when his beauty line Pleasing came out we were both excited to see what he did with it. We’ve also bonded as perfume girlies so Harry releasing three fragrances felt like an abundance of riches.
What are some of your first thoughts after trying them?
Brittany Spanos: My first impression when you showed me them was that the bottle design is gorgeous, like all Pleasing products. I really like how thoughtful the design is for everything in the line, like little sculptures.
I’m not the biggest fan of celebrity perfume lines (outside of Britney Spears’ collection ofc.) My expectations were low but I ended up being kind of pleasantly surprised by the scents, though very disappointed by how quickly they fade! I tried Rivulets first, which was kind of soapy and not my fave, and found that I could no longer smell it within just a couple hours. I ended up doing heavier sprays of Bright, Hot and Closeness but by the end of each day they were all gone for me.
What did you think?
KC: Agree—I think the packaging and marketing of all of the Pleasing products is so good and chic.
I'm not either, although I did wear SJP's Lovely for at least 4 years, so maybe I am. I'm unfortunately the opposite and my expectations were too high, and I was pretty disappointed. I do agree with you about how light all the fragrances are both Rivulets and Bright, Hot I can barely smell on me.
Let's start with Rivulets, it's definitely my least favorite of the three, and I found it to be so light that I could barely register its scent other than kinda soapy. Looking at the notes, there's white linen accord which might account for the soapy type scent. But there's also supposed to be black pepper, lemon, and Ambroxan which is used to create the ambergris notes and I couldn't smell any of that. I truly couldn't smell anything when I wore Rivulets out and about. Why didn't Rivulets work for you?
BS: Ok literally as soon as I sniffed Rivulets I felt like I made the Brittany Broski kombucha tasting face. Smelled very potpourri/grandma’s house in a bad way. I was honestly kind of relieved it wore off quickly!
KC: What did you think of Bright, Hot? I think I would really like it if it stuck more. It has the type of muskiness I really love in a fragrance, but it fades so quickly. I felt like I could never spray enough on frankly. But it has great notes in it—orris butter, plum, tobacco, vanilla, amber.
BS: There was something nice about that one but it was so quiet? The vanilla was the strongest note on me but I definitely wanted something a little fuller. It definitely feels like Pleasing’s attempt at H’s signature scent (Tobacco Vanille, which I bought after the first time I met him because I am crazy but I am free). They should’ve gone full dupe!
On the orris butter note, I did not realize how much I LOVE a buttery scent until I tried Closeness! I kept sniffing my wrist when I had it on. An easy favorite from the trio but sadly was short-lived on my skin. Very silky and pleasant! What did you think?
KC: They really should have! I dated a guy briefly who gave me a dupe of the Tobacco Vanille and I don't really know why it ended? I too am crazy.
I guess that was what I was expecting more from these scents is I thought that they would be bolder? Harry has such a point of view when it comes to fashion and beauty so I thought the scents would have something more to them.
Closeness is by FAR my favorite of the three. And I too love a buttery scent—remember January Scent's Selperniku? I really need to reup that one. So if I drench myself in Closeness it does actually stay more than the other two and I love the butter, the salted musk, and the cardamom. It feels like a great sexy staple fragrance to have, like if I don't want to make any choices but want to smell sultry this is a good one to just throw on as opposed to my usual detailed (see annoying) approach to putting something on daily.
Overall, I just wanted more from them. I mean anything Harry releases is going to sell, but I'm hoping that if they do more fragrance it'll be surprising scent wise and last much longer.
BS: I feel like that's my issue with all celebrity scents though. They are very rarely GOOD in the way our favorite scents are. There's no investment beyond the bottles and the marketing. These are definitely better than some in terms of quality/not smelling like pure chemicals (looking at u, Miss Grande!!) but for the price point, they should be lingering on my skin longer than three hours. A Pleasing perfume costs nearly as much per bottle as my signature scent Coven by boutique luxury brand Andrea Maack; that one lasts from day to night with only a couple spritzes. That's my bar!
I'm kind of hoping real luxury scents are the next frontier of celebrity brands. It seems like celebrity make-up brands are actually high-quality these days, and based off what I've seen on TikTok, the kids are starting to care more about designer, high-quality fragrances (as opposed to the Victoria's Secret body sprays we were bathed in as teens). It would be dope if someone like Halsey made a scent with Marissa Zappas or someone of that ilk.
KC: Yeah I totally agree, especially since celeb beauty is so saturated and so good, (I unfortunately have to stan Rare Beauty.) it makes no sense that perfume hasn't caught up in the same terms of quality, especially if you are paying a premium price for it. And especially if that premium price is like you said, the same to purchase a fragrance that is actually quality.
I mean if Halsey could make an album with Trent Reznor why not a scent with Marissa Zappas—that would be inspired. Now, since you have me thinking, where's our Bjork x Andrea Maack collaboration—two Icelandic queens!
Any other stray thoughts about Pleasing or the celebrity fragrance industrial complex?
BS: That’s it from me! I’m feverishly googling lactonic scents now, thanks to Closeness. Gonna be smelling like buttah all year long.
Perfume Ad of the Week
How couldn’t I not do the One Direction Our Moment fragrance ad! It’s a big mistake on whomever’s part that 1D didn’t do the cover of “My Favorite Things.” I’m gonna assume all the lightly erotic stuff they are doing with the fruits and flowers is supposed to be the notes of the fragrance, but that doesn’t make it any better. Frankly, watching it makes me feel like an old perv. 😞