(Not a) Perfume Review: Not a Perfume

Ah, minimalistic makeup. The entire concept is challenging to me, chiefly because it is a lie. I don't buy brands like Glossier and Milk Makeup because I do not mind looking like I wear makeup. I've put labor into the face. Anyone who wears makeup does.

To make consumption less conspicuous is a slippery slope, because it still is consumption, just packaged differently.

No other fragrance represents this better than Juliet Has a Gun's "Not a Perfume." I would never buy a full-size of this, but I had been quite interested in the claims of this product for some time. According to the company, "A fragrance made out of a single element called Cetalox. Usually used in perfumery as a base note, it plays here the lead role... Another advantage of this particular composition, is that it is entirely allergen free. The result is minimalist, elegant, pur.(sic)"

 Cetalox crystals can be purchased here, 8 g for $13.50. The travel size spray of this perfume can be purchased from Sephora for $28.00, which contains .25 oz, or 7 g. Now, I am not saying one should go ahead and start crushing and dissolving Cetalox crystals into alcohol to make their own perfume. I don't even know how to do that, though I'd be willing to learn. The point is this company is profiting HIGHLY off of one single ingredient, through marketing and "minimalism," which is not necessarily honest. 

I purchased the travel spray along with a bundle of sample and travel size perfumes from Ipsy, for $15.00, which is a really good deal. At the time, this perfume was the draw. Ipsy, as well as other perfume sites- not Juliet Has a Gun nor Sephora- claimed that the perfume reacted specifically to one's skin to produce a unique scent. 

Mine, I guess, is my grandmother's bathroom?

Okay, let me break my review does into pros and cons:

Pros:

1. It did not give me a headache, and I am susceptible to them.
2. The scent is (aggressively) simple, and clean, and a quick whiff is not unpleasant. 
3. I am wondering, because of its one main scent, if it can be layered with other perfumes. *Maybe I will try to do so and update this review with my findings*

Cons:

1. It fades extremely quickly.

2. It does not wear-down or alter it scent in any way.

3. Could be described as sour smelling, and musky. 

So, that's it then. This "Not a Perfume," is simply not a good perfume, for me. My tastes in perfumes range from gourmand to woody and sweet, but even for someone who does not wear perfume often, I do not think this would be a good deal. The full-size and travel size are both expensive, and for such a simple product what is the company exactly charging for?

A narrative, of course. Of products that will just meld into one's being for one to achieve one's ideal, ambergris-smelling self.  I mean, look at this ad:

A product is a product is a product. It is produced and it is consumed, end of story. I am getting tired of company's who ask us to suspend our disbelief, to believe they are bottling fairy dust and dreams. 

They are not. And we have to live with that.