Perfume recs from New Yorkers vol. 2

Back again with more recs from the city that never sleeps

You all really liked my first Perfume recs from New Yorkers post that I published back in October, so I thought I should do another round. When I’m in NY lately, it’s for work (I’m actually here again right now), so I tend to be going to a lot of events and meeting with a lot of interesting and smart people, many of whom also appreciate perfume. If I am around you and get a whiff of anything, I will inevitably ask what you’re wearing as I uncomfortably get a little too close to your personal space to take a deeper breath. Thanks for not getting too creeped out by that if you’re featured here.

Batsheva Hay

I am such a fan of Batsheva Hay. As a person and as a clothing designer and founder who runs a truly unique and special brand. She’s punk rock feminism personified. I think she’s right on the cusp of being GenX, but I’m claiming her as one of our own. From the models she chooses to walk her shows to the messages she sends through her clothing, she’s a total badass and voice we need. I was delighted and not surprised to hear she’s also a huge fraghead. Of course, she’s a collector. I asked her some of her favorites, and she rattled off so many, half of which I didn’t jot down and many I can’t decipher from my notes. Of course, I remember her mentioning Frederic Malle’s Carnal Flower, one of my all-time favorites. She talked about iris and oud and jasmine and rose; she’s down for it all, like a true fragrance fan. She mentioned Shalimar, Régime de Fleurs, and Marissa Zappos. And, of course, I asked if she would ever release a Batsheva fragrance. I won’t tell you her answer, but I would wear it in a heartbeat.

Emma Vernon

I adore Emma Vernon for so many reasons. She runs my favorite perfume podcast, Perfume Room, she’s the exact kind of person I want to talk to and learn about perfume with: kind, easygoing, and not judgmental. She’s fun to be around and just good people. I got to see her twice the last time I was in New York, at the Stéle event for Andrea Maack and for coffee a few days later. She was wearing Super Nova by Andrea Maack at the event. But a current obsession of hers is Jubilation 40 by Amouage. If you listen to her podcast or follow her, you have no doubt heard her wax poetic about it. She also told me she’s also loving and Cartier’s La Panthère. I like this line from their marketing copy, “Every woman has a feline side and every flower has a hidden animal essence”. Okkkkk. 🐾

Arabelle Sicardi

I also got to see Arabelle Sicardi at the Andrea Maack event, it was a room packed with the best perfume people. Arabelle is a writer who covers beauty, fashion, and power. She also runs Perfumed Pages, a scent-centered creative collective that I’m lucky enough to be a part of this year. I love learning about fragrance from her. She has an upcoming book on the beauty industry called House of Beauty coming out this year. I am also always inspired by her good nail art. I don’t think Arabelle was wearing anything at the event, but she told me two of her current favorites in heavy rotation are Iris by Rook and La Bague D’o by Jouissance.

Asia Grant

I have already talked about how much fun I had hanging out with perfume tour guide, beauty brand founder, and all-around excellent person Asia Grant. We have similar tastes and I love chatting with her about all things fragrance. She’s currently into Aesop’s newest release, Aurner and Ganymede by Marc-Antoine Barrois which she said “smells like a siren crashing a ship”.

Sarah Leon

I recently met Sarah Leon through some fun work stuff, she’s one of those people who I feel like I have always known and is really easy to be around. Sarah is the editorial director at The RealReal and has written for many magazines and publications you’ve likely read. You can follow along with her beautiful Bushwick home renovations right here. I can’t remember if she was wearing it or just told me that her all-time favorite fragrance is Costa Brazil. She also sent these photos of her collection (just a fraction of it here as she has more in storage) and a cherished bottle of L’Eau D’Hiver, another excellent scent.

Jalil Johnson

I dragged Jalil Johnson to Le Labo to smell their newest fragrance, Eucalyptus 20 (spoiler alert I thought it was just meh), here he is looking cute in the store. Jalil is a fashion writer and an incredibly stylish person. If you don’t already read

Consider Yourself Cultured

you should subscribe asap. When I saw Jalil at a writer's event for Substack, he smelled amazing, as always. He’s a big fan of rose and he was wearing a combo of St.Rose’s Out of the Blue and an Arabian Rose oil he gets at Whole Foods. He’s also really liking the newest Hèrmes release which I believe is Barénia.

There's nothing I love more than people sending me photos like this after I talk to them about perfume.

Liana Satenstein

Liana Satenstein is also someone I have just gotten to know recently and I am such a fan. Liana has amazing energy, crazy good ideas she actually executes, and an excellent sense of humor. She just had a baby about a month ago and this woman did not slow down for a second while pregnant, I saw her at the Substack writer’s drinks 2 days before she gave birth. Another total badass and you should subscribe to

NEVERWORNS

asap as well. Liana told me she was really excited about discovering Behnaz Sarafpour, all single-note natural fragrances inspired by the designer’s Persian heritage.

Camille Sojit Pejcha

Camille Sojit Pejcha is a writer and editor covering culture, technology, sex, and nightlife. She writes the excellent Substack

Pleasure-Seeking

which is another one you should subscribe to. I was lucky enough to be in town this week for the Night of Desire she hosted at a Russian bath house in Manhattan and it was such a weird and cool and special event. The last time I saw her she was wearing The Sun Card by Marissa Zappos, a beautiful spicy ambery heliotrope orange dream.

Jamie Rosen

Jamie Rosen is a writer, editor, and brand builder. She has had an impressive career in the beauty industry and now works with many interesting brands in the space. She now shares her thoughts on

Office of the Surface

, a weekly beauty newsletter that answers the question, “Is this any good?”. Jamie smelled really good when I saw her so of course I asked what she was wearing, and I will likely need to get a sample of this one which is Cafe Tabac by Aedes. I followed up with her to tell me more about this beautiful fragrance and she wrote, “When I first smelled it, I thought of an espresso with a twist of orange, but neither of those notes are in there. But there is a likeness, a freshness that accompanies the depth. The tobacco of it all—rich and humid and earthy—with a very subtle spice and warmth but not cloying (never want cloying!!) make this such a go-to winter scent for me. I also think it just works well on my skin as well, and it really, really lasts.”

Molly Crabapple

In case you haven’t noticed the running theme in this post is badass women. And Molly Crabapple is an easy inclusion. She’s an incredible artist and author who shares her work at

Ink Vault

. I only talked to her briefly but she gave me the most beautiful words about her scent of the night which was Marissa Zappa’s Queen Nzinga—no surprise that bad ass women are wearing perfumes made by bad ass women that were inspired by bad ass women. Molly said of Queen Nzinga, “It smells like roses with thorns and it makes me feel like I’m kissing someone whose lips are drenched in honey.”

Bryson Ammons

Bryson Ammons is the co-founder of The Alloy Studio he’s an incredible perfumer who learned the craft during covid. I just met Bryson recently and love chatting with him about perfume; his fragrances have such an interesting and unique point of view, and so does he. Both the Alloy scents trigger such core memories for me and I can’t wait to smell what he has coming out next. Definitely check out this great article featuring Bryson and some other indie perfumers if you haven’t already. I met Bryson at the Andrea Maack Stéle event and then went and visited him at Commodity where he shared his knowledge of their line. When I asked what he was loving recently he shared he’s a fan of the Acne Studios X Frederic Malle collab, The Ghost in the Shell, and Rozu by Aesop.