For the most part, I think celebrity perfumes should be tossed in a bin and set on fire.
Perfume is supposed to be personal. An experience. A signature scent you choose for yourself to enhance a mood and manipulate the impression you leave on others. Selecting the right notes should be special. It should conjure up feelings and memories.
The founders of fragrance company United Scents of America think so too. (Not the part about torching celeb perfumes–that’s all me.) Their line of States-inspired and New Jersey-made fragrances are created to be personal. “Our goal became to make our scents personal to the customer, not ourselves, and to remind people of where they come from,” says cofounder Sasha Bertrand.
Sasha and co-owner Samantha Sherwin pair up with stateside natives to capture homegrown memories in jar, and so far, states that have been bottled include New York, New Jersey, California, Florida, and a very delicious Texas, with top notes of ruby red orange, a heart of red cedar, and bottom notes of musk, cedar leaf, and amber. I find the perfume to be totally original, fresh, and a pleasant balance of feminine and masculine qualities.
Catch a whiff for yourself by purchasing a sample pack with all the state scents for $5 plus shipping. If you like what you smell, each perfume costs $58. (Which is cheaper than Beyoncé’s new Midnight Heat. IJS.)
Update: The $5 does not include shipping.
