Our take
What does Not a Perfume smell like?
Launched in 2010 by Romano Ricci, founder of Juliette Has a Gun, Not a Perfume lives up to its provocative name by relying almost entirely on ambroxan, a molecule reminiscent of ambergris. Originally conceived for people sensitive to classic perfumes, it has no evolution in the traditional sense. From the first spray there is a woody, faintly salty, mineral halo, like sun-warmed skin. Musks, cedar, cetalox and cashmeran smooth it out and give it a cashmere-soft touch. A final sandalwood adds a barely-there creaminess. The paradox: many wearers can hardly smell it on themselves, while people around them notice.
When to wear it
Wear it anywhere, especially at the office or layered with other fragrances. It suits people who dislike loud perfumes.
The story of Not a Perfume
Romano Ricci, a descendant of the Nina Ricci family, founded Juliette Has a Gun in 2006. The brand set out to provoke from day one, with names like Lady Vengeance and Miss Charming. Not a Perfume, released in 2010, took that attitude as far as it could go: a fragrance built on one material. That material is Cetalox, Firmenich's version of the ambergris-like molecule ambroxan. The idea had a precedent. In 2006 Escentric Molecules had shown with Molecule 01 that one aroma chemical, Iso E Super, could be sold as a perfume. Ricci did the same with ambroxan, in the very year Le Labo launched Another 13 around the same molecule. The launch pitch targeted people who find traditional perfumes too much, and the anti-perfume name did the rest. The minimalist concept became the brand's calling card, far more than its florals. Years later a more concentrated Superdose version followed for those who found the original too quiet.
Our detailed review
On a blotter you smell almost nothing. On skin the first hit is dry, salty wood, like a sun-warmed pebble or a beach towel. After that there is no top, heart or base. It doesn't move. It breathes. At times you lose it completely, then it comes back when you lift an arm or pull off a sweater. That's the trick of ambroxan, which quickly tires out the wearer's nose. We like its honesty. It smells like clean skin with the lights turned up, and it bothers no one. We like its monolithic side less, since anyone who has smelled pure ambroxan will find nothing more here. There's also a slightly metallic, almost sharp facet that shows when you overspray. It works for people who don't like perfume and want to smell good at work without anyone being able to name what they're wearing. Fans of structure and development will find it empty.
Not a Perfume vs its rivals
Le Labo's Another 13, launched the same year, also starts from ambroxan. It dresses it in musk and ambrette, with a faint pear over a little jasmine and moss. It's more constructed and muskier, with a fruity softness Not a Perfume lacks. Santal 33, also from Le Labo, uses ambroxan as support rather than subject. Sandalwood, papyrus and leather do the talking, with iris and cardamom up top. You can pick it out across a room, whereas Not a Perfume melts into skin. YSL's Tuxedo puts ambroxan in the base under patchouli, black violet and juniper, which makes it a darker evening scent. Our advice: Not a Perfume for the most discreet daily wear or for layering, Another 13 if you want the clean-skin idea with more texture. Santal 33 is for people who want to be recognised.
Longevity, projection and use
Low intensity, by design. Longevity varies a lot with skin: four to eight hours, and often more on clothes, where ambroxan clings. The sillage is diffuse but sneaky. Others notice it when you can no longer smell it yourself, so don't fall into the overspray trap. Four sprays is the limit: neck, wrists and one on your T-shirt. Beyond that the metallic edge takes over. Wear it year-round except in deep cold, when it goes flat. It works at the office and at the weekend. For layering, spray it first and put the other perfume on top.
It belongs to the Woody family. Not a Perfume is one of 1 creations by Juliette Has a Gun in our encyclopedia.
