Smell of a Song pt. 2

Hello, and welcome back to The Drydown Boutique Newsletter. This week, we are continuing our “Smell of a Song” series, in which we match up our favorite songs, albums, or musicians with a perfume that we have in store at The Drydown Boutique. Our first installment was published in August and I’ll link to that here, but I probably completed writing it some time in May or June. So, it’s been a while and I’ve been listening to tunes and mulling it over. At the same time, They Drydown has welcomed many exciting new releases and brought on houses that are new to us that we’re jazzed about so there’s lots of inspiration to go around. With that said, let’s talk about the smell of sound.

Hotel Cotton by Villa Erbatium & Thank You by Dido

fragrance notes: cotton blossom, mimosa, floral musk, sandalwood, black amber

perfumer: Ha Minseo Caterina

relevant song lyrics: Push the door, I'm home at last
And I'm soaking through and through
Then you handed me a towel
And all I see is you
And even if my house falls down now
I wouldn't have a clue
Because you're near me

Where are my Dido heads at? Make yourselves known. I am a zillenial (‘97) so I grew up scream singing Dido in the car with my mom. For that reason, Dido’s voice is as soothing to me as spa water. Thank You, in particular, is a song about the narrator being able to dismiss all the thorns in her life thanks to the rose that is her love. In the lyrics quoted above, her beloved hands her a towel. If they are as incredible as she describes them, I just know that towel is fresh out of the dryer and still warm.

This brings us to Hotel Cotton by Villa Erbatium. Hotel Cotton is the scent of the plushest, softest towel at your favorite spa. It’s soothing, it’s relaxing, and it’s such an easy reach. Thank You and Hotel Cotton would be the perfect combo for the rainiest of days, the days when you’re late for work, and the moments when you’re wondering why you got out of bed at all.

Aura of Amalfi by Birkholz & Cool by Gwen Stefani

fragrance notes: pear, melon, pink pepper, orange blossom, lavender, cashmere wood, sandalwood, musk

perfumer: Philip Birkholz

relevant song lyrics: *Watching the music video is required viewing*

We used to think it was impossible
Now you call me by my new last name
Memories seem like so long ago
Time always kills the pain

And I’ll be happy for you
If you can be happy for me
Circles and triangles
And now we’re hanging out with your new girlfriend
So far from where we’ve been

I know we’re cool

Cool is a song about reminiscing on old memories with a past love and marveling at the fact that friendship has been possible in the aftermath of the end of a romantic relationship. The music video depicts our narrator experiencing rose-colored flashbacks of her summer romance and meeting her ex’s new girlfriend. It is one of my all-time favorite music videos for its ability to capture the bittersweet nostalgia that comes with remembering the good ol days.

I don’t know that I can properly verbalize why I feel that this song and fragrance belong together, they just do. If I had to name what I’m smelling and feeling, it’s the transformative qualities of Aura of Amalfi. It opens femme and fruity with pear and melon but, like all things, is transformed by time. Once it dries, it smells far more masc and sporty thanks to the lavender and musk notes. It smells like a conversation between former lovers and the nod to the Amalfi coast just seals the deal.

Sun Impression by Racyne & Put Your Records On by Corrine Bailey Rae

fragrance notes: green mandarin, petitgrain, bergamot, neroli, orange blossom, white musks, cedarwood, vetiver

perfumer: Amelie Jacquin

relevant song lyrics: Blue as the sky, sunburned and lonely
Sipping tea in the bar by the roadside (just relax, just relax)

Girl, put your records on
Tell me your favorite song
You go ahead, let your hair down
Sapphire and faded jeans
I hope you get your dreams
Just go ahead, let your hair down

Before I even get into why this song and perfume should be paired together, I feel the need to state the obvious which is that Put Your Records On is an excellent karaoke song. Now, with that out of the way, this pair just makes sense to me. Put Your Records On is a song for the mid summer. It demands to be belted in the car with your windows down and some good company. It’s a song that makes you feel free and breezy and that is the same way the scent of a good orange blossom and neroli perfume will have you feeling. Sun Impression is just that. It’s a warm white floral, a bit bitter, and oh so sunny. Though we’ve said goodbye to summer for the year, and we are all very excited for cooler weather, Sun Impression already has me excited for summer 2027.

Neon Veil by Andrea Maack & Linger by The Cranberries

fragrance notes: pink pepper, amber, orange flower, orris, cedarwood, musk

perfumer: Domitille Michalon Bertier

relevant song lyrics: I swore, I swore I would be true
And, honey, so did you
So why were you holding her hand?
Is that the way we stand?
Were you lying all the time?
Was it just a game to you?

But I’m in so deep
You know I’m such a fool for you
You got me wrapped around your finger
Do you have to let it linger?
Do you have to, do you have to
Do you have to let it linger?

Linger stings. so. good. I’m happily married, but every time I hear it, I’m brought back to the soul crush of being led on, cheated on, and the poor communication of my time on the dating scene. (Royal Otis also does an incredible cover of it. If you haven’t heard it, you should check it out.) Here’s the thing. Our narrator knows damn well why they were “holding her hand”, but there’s the moment when you ask a question you don’t want to know the answer to - just before you get your answer - that you can pretend, with baited breath, for only a second, that you’ll get the explanation you’re hoping for. Neon Veil is the perfect match for that inhale of hopeful denial. It’s the sort of fragrance that softly lingers on your lover’s pillow. You can nearly convince yourself that it isn’t there and that it smells like you - not some stranger. For the iris lovers, for the skin scent lovers, for the heartbreak ballad lovers, I submit Neon Veil for your consideration.

Jasmin et Cigarette by Etat Libre d’Orange & Cigarette Smoke by Olivia Rodrigo

fragrance notes: jasmine, tobacco, apricot, tonka bean, curcuma, cedarwood, amber, musk

perfumer: Antoine Maisondieu

relevant song lyrics: The cigarette smoke
Is a smell that I know
It clings to my clothes
And seeps into my bones

Some nights can be
So f*cking lonely
But it's better than begging
For you to stand up for me, honeybee

If you’re a fan of The Cure, alt-rock, and/or pop music, but haven’t listened to Olivia Rodrigo’s new album, go give it a listen. If your frontal lobe is only a year or two away from finishing its development and dating hasn’t been easy for you, go give it a listen. This was the album I needed when I was 23. Cigarette Smoke is the conclusion to You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl so in Love and it is so perfectly specific. It’s a song full of ache, a bit of reightous indignation, and a quiet whisper of hope. Jasmin et Cigarette just feels like a no-brainer pairing. This is a fragrance that perfectly bottles the smell of cigarette smoke clinging to fabric and a lush white floral perfume’s attempt at covering it up. In other words, wearing your ex’s smoky sweater and the way it mingles with your own perfume. It also plays with lightness and darkness in a way that matches Olivia’s message. If you’re someone seeking a floral with a bit of an edge, I highly recommend giving Jasmin et Cigarette a try.

Mothlight by Perfume Who & Dreams by Fleetwood Mac

fragrance notes: neroli, rain-soaked earth, matsutake mushroom, sandalwood, tree moss, soft musk

perfumer: Hannah Wu

relevant song lyrics: listen carefully
To the sound of your loneliness like a heartbeat drives you mad
In the stillness of remembering what you had
And what you lost
And what you had
And what you lost

Oh, thunder only happens when it's rainin'
Players only love you when they're playin'
Say women, they will come and they will go
When the rain washes you clean, you'll know
You'll know

Ok so here’s the thing. Pairing a perfume with one of the most beloved songs of all time is kind of a tall order and I want to say upfront that you are more than welcome to disagree with me on this one. My feelings will not be hurt, but I’m the one writing this newsletter so my opinion is the one you’re going to read today.

Like many Fleetwood Mac songs, Dreams feels like a conversation, or at least one side of a conversation. The imagery is vivid and immersive. On a cellular level, I know the stillness Stevie is singing about. I am well acquainted with the feeling of being cleansed by “the rain” described here. Mothlight captures these sensations exceedingly well. Petrichor is a beloved scent profile for a reason and Mothlight is one of the more special petrichor’s I’ve ever had the pleasure of smelling. It oscillates between the calm before the storm smell - heavy, dense, and damp, and the refreshing aroma of the earth after the storm - clean, fresh, and green. Both Dreams and Mothlight feel like revelations in their own right and I highly encourage all the petrichor lovers out there to get their noses on Mothlight.

And with that, we have reached the end of this scented playlist. Let us know what you think of these pairings or if there are other songs, musicians, or albums you want paired. This series is one of my favorites to think on and I’m looking forward to writing more. Smell ya later!

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