A Korean perfume house that refuses to play it safe
The name already states the house's intention: to make perfumes for people who don't want to blend in, rather than fragrances designed to please everyone and soon forgotten. Even the bottles, white with bright red details, take their cue from traditional Korean porcelain. According to Lim, every fragrance grows out of a personal story, not a focus group.
The scent families in the collection
Boozy and spicy
Among the boozy perfumes is Drunk Saffron, which opens with sweet plum and smooth cognac, and which the house pairs with the image of lipstick marks on a glass. Smokin' Gun takes the alcohol in a woody direction, with a peaty, spiced scotch in a wet forest.
Gourmand and sweet memories
Nuts brings together pistachio, almond, sesame, caramel and rum with a hint of davana. Indecent Cherry is built around a "drunken" cherry, the wild side of an innocent fruit, and Sugar Addict is devoted to pure sugar, like an addiction. From the same family, Angel's Powder draws on childhood memories, like cotton candy after a carousel ride, mom's nail polish and the paint of a freshly decorated dollhouse.
Floral, woody and musky
Dgaf and Happy Nuts are described by the house with the same floral, woody and musky notes.
Musk and skin
Filthy Musk is a deliberately raw musk. Along the same musky line is Dirty Rice, which the house describes as the smell of sweaty, sticky skin. Naked Laundry starts from laundry drying in the sun and freshly washed sheets, then moves on to warm skin notes.
Earth and rain
Mud smells of wet earth in the rain, with water, wet grass and mud, in a blend the house describes as misty.
The more narrative compositions
Some eaux de parfum are described by the house through moods rather than notes. Dirty Heaven is a sensual perfume dedicated to pleasure, joy and ecstasy. Fig Porn, which has the fig right in its name, is presented with an erotic text rather than an olfactory pyramid.
The body line: Trash and Narcissist
The Trash line has notes of rose, citrus, basil and sandalwood and includes the Trash Body Cream, a moisturizing body cream, the Trash Body Wash, a bath and shower gel, and the Trash Hand Wash, a liquid hand soap. The washes contain oat and coconut oil, which according to the house leave skin soft. Finally, from the Narcissist line there is the Narcissist Hand Wash, a liquid hand soap with the same oat and coconut oil base.
Frequently asked questions
Who founded Borntostandout?
Borntostandout was founded by Jun Lim, a perfume collector who worked for years as an investment banker in Korea. In 2021 he left banking to devote himself to perfumery, funding the project with his own savings, and in 2022 he launched the brand in Seoul.
Why do Borntostandout perfumes have such provocative names?
The provocative names are part of the house's identity, aimed at people who want to stand out and reject perfumes that all smell the same. The name evokes a scene or a mood, though, rather than describing the notes. Dirty Rice, for example, is a musk, Smokin' Gun a peaty woody scent and Mud a wet earth accord.
Which Borntostandout perfume should I choose if I don't like sweet scents?
If sweet scents aren't for you, look at Mud, Smokin' Gun and Filthy Musk. The first recalls water, wet grass and muddy earth in the rain, Smokin' Gun is a woody scent with a peaty, spiced scotch, and Filthy Musk is a raw musk. Nuts, Sugar Addict and Indecent Cherry, on the other hand, are outright gourmands.
What's the difference between Filthy Musk and Naked Laundry?
Filthy Musk and Naked Laundry share the idea of skin. The first is a raw, rough musk with no clean effect at all, while Naked Laundry starts precisely from clean, meaning laundry and freshly washed sheets, and then moves on to warm, intimate skin notes.
Which Borntostandout perfumes have boozy notes?
Boozy notes are at the heart of Drunk Saffron, which opens with sweet plum and smooth cognac, and of Smokin' Gun, which has a peaty, spiced scotch over a woody base. Nuts also contains a splash of aged rum, but it remains a gourmand of nuts and caramel.
What does Angel's Powder smell like?
Angel's Powder grows out of childhood memories, which the house describes as dreams captured in a bottle. It recalls cotton candy after a carousel ride, mom's nail polish and the paint of a freshly decorated dollhouse.
What does the Trash body line smell like?
The Trash line has notes of rose, citrus, basil and sandalwood and includes the Trash Body Cream, a moisturizing body cream, the Trash Body Wash for bath and shower and the Trash Hand Wash for hands. Both washes contain oat and coconut oil.
What notes do Borntostandout Dgaf and Happy Nuts have?
Dgaf and Happy Nuts are described with the same floral, woody and musky notes and differ in how they are presented. Dgaf is offered as the scent of freedom and madness, untamed, unleashed and uncensored, while Happy Nuts comes from a love of nuts and the idea of an enveloping hug.
