My personal fragrance gift guide.
What to buy the Taylyn in your life.
Welcome to the thirty-third issue of Black Girl Perfume Club! Let’s dive right in.
Gift guide this, gift guide that. I really don’t care what your boyfriend or mom wants for Christmas. I decided I’m gonna be a little selfish this year and share what I want. I don’t usually share what I want for Christmas because I tend to buy myself whatever I want anyway, but you all are lucky to get a sneak peek of what I’d like. Read on for what I’m asking Santa for this year.
Speaking of being selfish, I apologize for shirking on newsletter duties. A lot has been going on and I want to share two things: 1) Our NYC meetup was a HUGE success. Thank you to everyone who came out to support and the biggest thank you to Kim at MUSE for hosting us. We had a beautiful time. More photos below.
And 2) I was laid off from my full-time job! This is a bittersweet announcement, but on the bright side, it leaves me more time to focus on Black Girl Perfume Club and bringing amazing events and content to you, the readers and community. So I’d love for you to share some feedback you have on the community here for a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card.
This newsletter contains some affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a commission. Thanks!
This Week’s Fragrance Diary
‘Mod Vanilla’ by Ariana Grande - Worn on my flight to NYC.
‘The Only One’ by Dolce & Gabbana - Worn to church.
‘Fenty’ by Fenty - Worn while writing this newsletter.
New Releases
Kayali ‘Eden Sparkling Lychee’ - The latest in Kayali’s fruity fragrance adventures.
Boy Smells ‘Violet Ends’ - Like being enveloped in the deep romantic elements that brought Romeo and Juliet together.
Kilian Paris ‘Smoking Hot’ - An intoxicating unisex bourbon vanilla made for NYE.
What Taylyn Wants for Christmas…
Fragrance du Bois ‘Voyage à Paris’ Parfum
I finally got to smell this fragrance in person at ScentXplore and I fell in love instantly. While it smells like pure romance in a bottle, it doesn’t feel uber-straightforward like a scent that’s meant to represent Paris. The honey and oud evoke Paris’ reputation for desserts, while staying true to its multicultural background. ($314, buy it from Fragrance du Bois)
Kilian Paris ‘Love Don’t Be Shy’ EDP
This scent has always left an impression on me. It’s delightfully girlish and feminine without veering into juvenile territory. The marshmallow and orange blossom dance together so well for a fragrance that feels like it was made for me specifically. I own a travel size of this, but I’m ready to venture into full-bottle territory. (Starting at $50, buy it from Sephora)
Tom Ford ‘Vanilla Sex’ EDP
Folks are calling this scent 2023’s ‘it vanilla'.’ I rag on Tom Ford a lot, but they do vanillas very well. Vanilla swirls with aphrodisiac bitter almond and sandalwood for a delectable combination that pretty much wants to get you laid. It’s sold out pretty much everywhere but I’m keeping my eyes peeled. (Starting at $250, buy it from Sephora)
Jo Malone ‘Velvet Rose & Oud’ Cologne Intense
I pretty much don’t believe in eau de toilette or colognes, so Jo Malone barely appealed to me. I like scents with some capital-S Strength. So when I discovered this cologne intense from the brand, I was pleasantly surprised. Oud and rose merge so perfectly together to create a dark, romantic vibe, that even I was seduced by this little black bottle. I plan to make her mine soon. (Starting at $160, buy it from Sephora)
Jousset Parfums ‘Accident A La Vanille - Creme De La Berry’ Extrait de Parfum
I mentioned this fragrance in my Luckyscent interview and it smells exactly like Cap’n Crunch Berries cereal, the scent of my childhood. It even has a slightly lactonic note that evokes that cereal milk scent. This would make a great scent for a young person starting their fragrance journey, or me. ($165, buy it only at Luckyscent)
Maya Nije ‘Tropica’ EDP
It would be remiss to not mention a Black-owned brand on this list. I had a chance to smell the beachy ‘Tropica’ during the BGPC NYC meetup and I fell in love with its way of mixing pineapple and coconut in a sophisticated way that doesn’t scream piña coladas at Margaritaville. Move over ‘Mango Skin,’ this might have to be my new vacation fragrance. ($135, buy it from Maya Nije)
On the ‘Gram
What We’re Reading
The 18 Best Perfumes for Women of 2023, According to Testers (People)
We Sniffed Out the Best Designer Scents to Snag During the *Major* Sephora Fragrance Sale (PureWow via Yahoo)
Gen Zs Love $1,000 Perfumes. The Curious Phenomenon Of a Small Luxury in Bad Times (Edmonton Journal)