Well, it's only fitting that I should bust yet another Fragrantica cherry and nothing gives me more satisfaction than doing it with Boys. (I think that came out right?) Anyway, Boys is an extremely fun fragrance. It's a bit of fun! I get too wrapped up in the seriousness and minutia of fragrances and Boys is one that I just let wash over me, metaphorically speaking of course. The opening is bonkers, and it's seriously like a floral/musk deluge a kind of fragrant avalanche. Boys brassily exclaims, “Right I've begun. It's your problem now! Deal with it!” Conversely, it's not vulgar or rude, it's hilarious in fact. It's cheeky, scampish and quite charming really. Put a smile on my face anyway, and I think it's important that all fragrance do different things and don't just live in a relentlessly stuffy and strait-laced world. I don't mean the daring and edgy stuff we are told about in marketing from companies who wouldn't know an original idea if it slapped them in the face. I'm talking about real statements and real olfactory stories, told by real people, not voted on by committees in marketing offices. I'm talking about the purity of concept, the idea and inspiration followed through in a logical manner to a fruitful conclusion. The fact that I know ahead of time, Boys intended to be a sort of tongue in cheek, highly kitsch, Technicolor data dump, is no less impactful when you experience it for yourself. What I'm saying is, I think I'd have known that intent was there just from the smell alone. I feel it almost shooting out vertically into the air with a cheesy, white musk accord (which I actually quite like non ironically anyway) but the fact that it's seemingly not juxtaposed with the indolic or earthy or 'lived in' gives the sense of a turbo air freshener, all the while though you can tell something more complex is lurking. That chintzy effect fades into the background almost as quickly as it arrived and you are greeted with a creaminess (which persists throughout), a kind of ionone dryness, and mild rubbery, medicinal mixture of jasmine/banana medicine and cucumber facets. Before then morphing into what I would consider the main accord (and purple hue of the label) starts to build and that's the violet accord. It's a wonderful, sweet, powdery, classic violet in the sense of something like Violetta from Penhaligons, that kind of similar vibe but the confectionery aspect of Boys just feels as though you are wearing one of those edible sets of beads or something? Just gingerly nibbling one off Freddie's description of 'Parma violet dust' is spectacularly accurate, because despite its prominence in the composition, it does feel like a dusting of powder. The thickness and extra confection is supplied by a more custard like vanilla (more ethyl vanillin that vanillin) and transparent wood/musk base. It’s great because it fits in with the whole theme of flumps and unicorns and rainbow carpet shampooing machines and all that shit, but it’s still not too sweet and somehow retains an air of sophistication. A real accomplishment. Don’t get me wrong I’d have to well and truly be in the mood for Boys, it’s not an everyday perfume (I mean that’s a stupid statement because I never wear something two days in a row anyway but I’m referring to ‘normal’ people), unless you are pretty eccentric, and like to rock lilac shell-suits and/or have rainbow dreadlocks or something? It’s fun, but it’s not silly. I think in terms of this in the context of the collection, they all have a floral nature to them, despite not one being an actual floral perfume per se, and that seems to be Freddie’s happy place, his jump off point. The clean, musky, floral blast in the opening & violets almost throughout being Boys florality. Many musicians and producers start with a high energy beat or the bass or a hook or artists start with a basic principle or framework or a sketch or maquette. I’m not even saying that it has to be a starting point necessarily but it’s a way of getting into working and creating in a similar sort of way. It’s rare for an artisan perfumer to have such style. I usually say it in a negative sense in that they have ‘bad habits’ or crutches to lean on like Orris butter (who the fuck doesn’t like that?) but every now and again there’s someone who has real vision and creates something uniquely ‘them’. I’m not saying Freddie is there yet, but there’s shades of it in this excellent opening trio and I’m interested to see how his works develop from here on out because I feel his seminal piece is yet to come.
BOYS, from Freddie Albrighton was released in 2021. The perfumer behind this creation is Freddie Albrighton. The notes are Latex, Leather, Milk, Musk, Raspberry, Strawberry, Vanilla, Violet.
Well, it's only fitting that I should bust yet another Fragrantica cherry and nothing gives me more satisfaction than doing it with Boys. (I think that came out right?) Anyway, Boys is an extremely fun fragrance. It's a bit of fun! I get too wrapped up in the seriousness and minutia of fragrances and Boys is one that I just let wash over me, metaphorically speaking of course. The opening is bonkers, and it's seriously like a floral/musk deluge a kind of fragrant avalanche. Boys brassily exclaims, “Right I've begun. It's your problem now! Deal with it!” Conversely, it's not vulgar or rude, it's hilarious in fact. It's cheeky, scampish and quite charming really. Put a smile on my face anyway, and I think it's important that all fragrance do different things and don't just live in a relentlessly stuffy and strait-laced world. I don't mean the daring and edgy stuff we are told about in marketing from companies who wouldn't know an original idea if it slapped them in the face. I'm talking about real statements and real olfactory stories, told by real people, not voted on by committees in marketing offices. I'm talking about the purity of concept, the idea and inspiration followed through in a logical manner to a fruitful conclusion. The fact that I know ahead of time, Boys intended to be a sort of tongue in cheek, highly kitsch, Technicolor data dump, is no less impactful when you experience it for yourself. What I'm saying is, I think I'd have known that intent was there just from the smell alone. I feel it almost shooting out vertically into the air with a cheesy, white musk accord (which I actually quite like non ironically anyway) but the fact that it's seemingly not juxtaposed with the indolic or earthy or 'lived in' gives the sense of a turbo air freshener, all the while though you can tell something more complex is lurking. That chintzy effect fades into the background almost as quickly as it arrived and you are greeted with a creaminess (which persists throughout), a kind of ionone dryness, and mild rubbery, medicinal mixture of jasmine/banana medicine and cucumber facets. Before then morphing into what I would consider the main accord (and purple hue of the label) starts to build and that's the violet accord. It's a wonderful, sweet, powdery, classic violet in the sense of something like Violetta from Penhaligons, that kind of similar vibe but the confectionery aspect of Boys just feels as though you are wearing one of those edible sets of beads or something? Just gingerly nibbling one off Freddie's description of 'Parma violet dust' is spectacularly accurate, because despite its prominence in the composition, it does feel like a dusting of powder. The thickness and extra confection is supplied by a more custard like vanilla (more ethyl vanillin that vanillin) and transparent wood/musk base. It’s great because it fits in with the whole theme of flumps and unicorns and rainbow carpet shampooing machines and all that shit, but it’s still not too sweet and somehow retains an air of sophistication. A real accomplishment. Don’t get me wrong I’d have to well and truly be in the mood for Boys, it’s not an everyday perfume (I mean that’s a stupid statement because I never wear something two days in a row anyway but I’m referring to ‘normal’ people), unless you are pretty eccentric, and like to rock lilac shell-suits and/or have rainbow dreadlocks or something? It’s fun, but it’s not silly. I think in terms of this in the context of the collection, they all have a floral nature to them, despite not one being an actual floral perfume per se, and that seems to be Freddie’s happy place, his jump off point. The clean, musky, floral blast in the opening & violets almost throughout being Boys florality. Many musicians and producers start with a high energy beat or the bass or a hook or artists start with a basic principle or framework or a sketch or maquette. I’m not even saying that it has to be a starting point necessarily but it’s a way of getting into working and creating in a similar sort of way. It’s rare for an artisan perfumer to have such style. I usually say it in a negative sense in that they have ‘bad habits’ or crutches to lean on like Orris butter (who the fuck doesn’t like that?) but every now and again there’s someone who has real vision and creates something uniquely ‘them’. I’m not saying Freddie is there yet, but there’s shades of it in this excellent opening trio and I’m interested to see how his works develop from here on out because I feel his seminal piece is yet to come.