Is Your Fragrance Wardrobe In Need of a Kabuki Perfume?

Byredo can do no wrong. Ben Gorham’s brand has served up some of the most cult-worthy fragrances since its initiation, shaking up our olfactory organs and the beauty industry all the same. And as long as they don’t discontinue any of their scents and keep introducing us to more game-changers, we’ll forever be enthralled by their irresistible creations.

Well, my glowing opinion on the fragrance label didn’t waver until they announced the launch of their new kabuki perfumes. Yeah, you read that right. Byredo’s trio of kabuki perfumes in Gypsy Water, Blanche, and Bal D’Afrique are essentially powdered formulas housed in a retractable brush and it lets you dust yourself in fine particles that supposedly delivers an equivalent to a perfume spritz.
Apparently, the idea of incorporating a kabuki brush was derived from the way Japanese actors apply their makeup in a systemised form of theatre. Sure, that sounds like a pretty tactile way to use a fragrance since it adds a little more elegance to the act of smelling good, but a brush application paired with a powdered formulation rests right in the middle of clever and useless.
 

 
Its genius lies in that it stirs our ability to visualise. Whipping out this convenient product in public to brush it onto your wrists, neck, and décolletage for a quick touchup makes for a rather sensual, intimate sight, which explains why my other half is all for the kabuki perfume – but he’s French and romanticises everything, so hey, what the hell does he know?
Now, let’s put the visual aesthetics aside. If you’re a fragrance enthusiast, you’ll know that scents tend to last longer on skin that’s well-hydrated and moisturised, so a powdered formula wouldn’t work to your advantage if it sits on top of the skin and absorbs oil. You could argue that it feels better since it helps to alleviate some of the grease caused by humidity, and I’m with you, but putting on a fragrance that has a faint sillage and calls for constant reapplication doesn’t sound the most appealing. Not to my wallet, it doesn’t.
I could launch into a separate thesis on consumerism, but I guess what I’m trying to say here is that you definitely don’t require one unless you simply can’t go on without adding this trendy item to your Gypsy Water collection, or if you have extra cash to spend. I highly doubt it’s the latter. And if you’re looking to treat yo’self, perhaps the full-sized (yup, 100ml or nothing) eau de parfum or the roll-on perfume oil would make better investments instead.
Byredo Kabuki Perfume, US$65 each. Available from byredo.com.