It’s unique, sophisticated, and loaded with sweet vanilla, the bottle inspired by singer-songwriter Billie Ellish’s favourite body parts. Discover how this surprising fragrance has taken the world by storm, says editor Trudi Brewer.
Image BeautyEQ
“I wanted it to feel like you could see anybody in it, and you could be it.”
If it was sitting on your mantel, it could be mistaken for a Grammy Award or a Golden Globe award, but it’s not; it’s a perfume created by a master perfumer and a 21-year-old Californian-born superstar. Available exclusively at Life Pharmacy. Read on if you like your scent, unforgettably creamy and sweet.
Eilish by Billie Eilish EDP 100ml, $110.
What’s in it?
The ingredients selected by Eilish evoke a “warm, caramel, smooth, velvety thing” in her mind, she told Vogue at the launch. Aromas she’s been chasing for a while in a fragrance and has not found. So the singer-songwriter signed off on what I would call a very sophisticated scent. “I’ve always been in love with vanilla since I was a kid, and my mum would teach me to bake,” says Eilish, admitting that she found its taste disgusting, though the scent stuck with her. The nose behind her eponymously named scent is master perfumer Steve DeMercado, famous for well-known designer scents, including Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein, and Givenchy. The warm and sensual mood of this fragrance inspired Ellish herself. “I wanted it to feel like a warm embrace, like a body. Like what it feels like to be human and have a body, and feel your blood rushing through you,” says Eilish. So to that end, the first spritz combines sweet sugared petals with the juxtaposition of juicy red berries and zesty mandarin. The creamy vanilla, soft spices, and cocoa give it that seductive warmth and the dreamy musk, tonka bean, with sleek woods, offer longevity and that air of sophistication. For anyone who likes a delicious ambery fragrance, this is one to try this spring, regardless of age.
Why do we like it?
It is clear Eilish has followed what she likes in making this fragrance. And if the sales are anything to go by, it’s struck a chord with vanilla addicts. The bottle is a metallic abstract bust featuring Eilish’s favourite body parts, “I like the idea that you can see the person that you are in love with in it, somehow; I feel like it could match anybody, almost—or you,” Eilish told Vogue. The lasting scent on my skin the first time I spritzed it on was that distinctive smell of warm vanilla, soft spices, and cocoa. A combination not often found in fragrance but a slice of delicious fudge. But these ingredients anchor the others to give the scent longevity. The vanilla takes centre stage and sits very close to the skin to create a creamy, intimate fragrance that I have to say is addictive. The only way I can best describe this perfume is that it smells like a long hug from a best friend. At 21, to conjure up such a worldly scent, I can’t wait to see what Eilish comes up with when she is 31.
Perfume is the ultimate present. Here’s what we’re wearing right now.