Not A Perfume by Juliette Has A Gun

I was really hoping for that clean, special scent I imagined, but upon testing it on my wrist, I thought: what a joke? It smelled like nothing, just paper. Then I layered another fragrance on top to see if it would mix well… I can’t remember which one it was, but the result was a super unpleasant mixture that forced me to wash my hands immediately. I don’t know if it just doesn’t suit my skin, but it was a total letdown.

DO NOT BUY THIS FRAGRANCE BLIND. I was about to buy Not A Perfume without smelling it; fortunately, I had the opportunity to test it on my skin today… at first, I perceived an ink-like scent, but after a few seconds, I found a great similarity with Light Blue by Dolce & Gabbana, of course, minus a bit of the floral and citrus notes. In short, it is not the scent I expected considering the notes and descriptions on Fragrantica and other reviews; if you want to buy it, take the base notes of that Dolce & Gabbana fragrance as a reference.

Too expensive and it’s like pouring water on yourself, but fine, they warn you: ‘not a perfume’. It is our fault for buying it.

I had to learn to understand this fragrance. It was escaping me. Indeed, it didn’t smell like perfume to me, it smelled like me. A scent between fruity and powdery, soft, almost indefinable, that escaped my sense of smell. I didn’t know if I couldn’t perceive it (as happens to me with Baccarat Rouge 540 by MFK) due to its synthetic molecules, or if the perfume was just like that. I had to learn to ‘see’ it, to feel it, because it is an ethereal, atmospheric scent, a subtle waft that comes and goes. It is true, you have to smell it, because I am convinced it transforms on every skin. It is not a perfume, it is a very faint sensation in the air, one that first rises and then settles, but like a feather can do. It smells clean, slightly powdery. It becomes addictive and pleasant in its lightness, not in longevity, but in sillage. Of course, it is a game that confuses. It highlights your own scent and blends with it. For daily wear, winter.

Come on, first of all. The scent cannot be fully described. It is a very uncommon simple ‘clean’ smell that you only find in these synthetic particles. It is not projective, not challenging. It is a second skin. I have a dupe from Dossier called Musky Musk and if I am being honest, I believe it smells at least 50-100% better than Juliette. Neither projects; I have asked and no one smells it from afar. Everyone likes it, but it is very intimate. You get bursts of scent from both throughout the day. I have tested both and they are very similar, at least 80-90%. If you want to smell them in Sephora, I have seen them, and Dossier just smells stronger. You cannot imagine the aroma; you have to smell it. I think it works better as a layering agent, as it makes fragrances more ‘clean’. Super subtle and not annoying.

Essentially an Escentric Molecules style, just one ingredient: ambroxan and cetalox emulating ambergris. It’s a clean, synthetic, very subtle scent that causes rapid olfactory fatigue. It’s pleasant and cosy, but hard to perceive and gets lost to the nose. I sprayed it 8 times and found it weak; after a few minutes I couldn’t smell it, yet my wife at two metres says it smells like clean laundry. I was surprised I couldn’t notice it myself. It’s disappointing because the scent is frankly good, but difficult to smell. I like this style, like Prada’s Infusion d’Iris or Nasomatto’s Silver Musk, but here I notice it only in faint bursts. It needs more maceration than others. Ideal for nursing or the office, as unisex as it is feminine, for day, spring and summer. Absolutely casual. Good longevity.

I think all the reviews I’ve read are spot on. A neutral fragrance, almost works as a base if you like mixing, smells clean and fresh, but without intensity. It’s a personal scent. I feel it could work better as a shower splash if it didn’t cost what it does. It has nothing particular; of all the brand’s fragrances, it’s the least intense, like a soft wildcard for gifting or for people who don’t love perfumes.

I ordered it blindly because in Argentina they only have it at Perfumerías Rouge. My brother smells more citrusy notes, while I smell it sweeter, although it’s a single note that changes according to the skin. Alone, no one has said anything and it barely projects beyond 5 cm; it’s for enjoying yourself. But in layering it’s a different story: they keep praising it! I was floored, because with just one nobody said anything, but when I mixed it with JHAG at work everyone asked. The two combos people have asked about most are with LVEB Rose Extraordinaire (they say I smell rich, sweet and fresh at the same time) and with classic VS Bombshell (a colleague told me it reminded him of a girl from high school he really liked). In summary: alone it’s just for me, but mixed it’s a power bomb and compliments. P/S: does anyone in Argentina confirm if the spray also arrived faulty? Mine leaks a lot of product from the sides when pressed, and I just bought JHAG Pear Inc and it has the same flaw 🫠

Although it’s made to enhance other perfumes when layering, for me it only gives a super woody air and at times ambered. I don’t like mixing perfumes so I don’t know if it really enhances other scents or not, but by itself it smells clean, good, for wearing in winter. It reminds me of my beloved Pure Musc being for use with other Narciso Rodriguez perfumes but it’s so rich it doesn’t need to be mixed with another.

On my skin it smells exactly like the Tony Moly panda cream. Luckily for me, I love that scent and in fact I was looking for something that smelled similar. It was a blind buy and a pleasant surprise!!!

I’ve always wanted to give my daughter something more ‘serious’; up until now, she only used Victoria’s Secret or cheap bits from Amazon. A few weeks ago, I smelled NOT A PERFUME after reading good reviews, and since her name is JULIETTE, it was a perfect fit. Its scent is simple and suits her age (13 years) brilliantly.

It was a blind buy with trepidation after my bad experience with Glossier’s You, where the pepper was too much. On trying it… what an intimate, soft and different fragrance! I don’t know how to describe it. I wore it for a week; sometimes it disappeared and other times it came back in waves, so I assumed it activated with my body heat or sweat. Two people asked why it smelled so good, and indeed it’s noticeable to others even if I don’t feel it myself. I haven’t tried it as a fixative yet, as they say it boosts too. This scent truly lives up to the motto: ‘your skin but better’. Would I buy it again? I already have: two more bottles, the cream, the detergent and the room spray. I love it for everyday wear.

I find it very soft; it comes out slightly synthetic and on my skin it settles into an amber, warm and a bit woody (like shavings). After five hours, it’s sweeter and musky, just like when Clean Reserve’s Skin dries down, and that’s what I like most. However, unfortunately, it projects nothing and leaves no sillage, which disappoints me. If it lasts well (seven hours on my skin), it doesn’t justify the cost if you can’t smell it within 10 cm. I recommend trying it on skin (if it matches, it’s beautiful), although it’s not for blind buying as you might be anosmic to it. It’s sensual and 100% unisex.

I met it at a sample and loved it; a clean, woody and modern scent with excellent projection and longevity, I had to have it, so I bought it and now it only smells close to the skin 🙄, leaving me very confused. Perhaps it’s because I’m in another city with more heat and humidity, I don’t know; I’ll let it macerate for a few weeks to see what happens.

It smells pleasantly clean, fresh clean skin, I love it 🥰