There are a surprising number of young men (and women) who post perfume reviews on YouTube. One of these young men, who has been posting under the name kerosenetrewthe since 2010, decided it was time to see if he could create scents of his own. Kerosene, also known as John Pegg, has no formal training in perfumery, so he just dove in, using mood, weather, instinct and passion as his inspirations.

I sent for a sample of Kerosene’s first fragrance via his Facebook page and was intrigued. Hearing that he was releasing two more scents, I knew I wanted to review the line.

R’oud Elements, the first perfume in the line, has a blast of citrus up top that is tempered by oud. My impression was wood shavings and 7-Up. Kerosene was amused when I told him that was what I got and didn’t seem to mind, saying that he had once concocted a scent that was reminiscent of Squirt soda pop.  Actually, it isn’t a bad way to smell at all. The oud is smooth and wearable, not sweaty. The orange bitters are dominant on my skin for quite some time. The lavender appears at the midway point, veering R’oud Elements toward the masculine end of the gender spectrum. However, the far drydown is cozy and warm from the amber and vanilla, easing back into gender-neutral territory. I enjoyed wearing this scent and found it to be a noble first effort.

Notes: Oud, Sandalwood, Amber, Vanilla, Lavender, Iris and Orange Bitters.

I wanted it to be a warm summer night to really get the full effect of Creature, Kerosene’s next scent.  The dynamic minty-woody opening would be refreshing on such an evening. Spray it on in the twilight, and by late night, the hazy, foresty drydown would be perfection. As it is, I wore it on a day with rather nondescript weather, and still found it delightful. Those who are afraid of mint, fear not, no toothpaste here. This is freshly macerated mint, as if you had stepped on some and the aroma had mingled with the detritus on the forest floor.  I want more Creature to try in different weather conditions, because I think it would be a good chameleon scent, ever-changing and adapting.

Notes: Sweet birch, Mint, Lemon, Jasmine, Green tea, Sage, Violet leaves, Cypress, Cedar, Patchouli, and Moss.

Putting on Copper Skies, the third scent in the line, was like dripping  tree sap on my body (I was testing from a vial). There was something almost licoricey in there, woody, and sweet. Something reminded me of sassafras, a scent I have not smelled in years. I was enchanted immediately, and transported to a magical realm. The amber started making its presence known within a few minutes, and it is divine.  Amber is not my easiest note: it can go cloying fast, and make me smell like a can of Play-Doh ™. The amber in Copper Skies is rich with a little bite, which keeps it from developing any musty aromas.  It is my dream amber. Throughout the day I would get little puffs of deliciousness in my nose. Copper Skies lasts nicely, stays warm and cozy, and is a full-bottle-worthy winner.

Notes: Amber, Cedar, Sweet tobacco leaves, Honeycomb, Basil and Cloves

Kerosene takes as much care with his packaging as he does with his perfume. Hailing from the Detroit area of Michigan, the prevailing industry influenced his material choices.  Using automotive grade paint to coat each bottle, sealing it with clearcoat, and ornamenting the cap with a variety of materials, the resulting bottles are creative, gorgeous, and obviously well thought-out.

The Kerosene perfume line is currently available only at MiN New York, but I have a sample pack for one lucky winner. Do you have a perfume in your head that you would make if you had the right impetus? What would be in it, and/or what would you call it? We will draw one winner on February 9, 2012 via random.org.

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilt perfume.

P.S  I asked Kerosene so many questions for this article just so I could get a sense of who he is and what was driving him, that I ended it with “Why is the sky blue?”, the quintessential question from a pesky child. His answer? “It’s blue because bright neon fuchsia gives people headaches.” Nice!

–Tama Blough, Senior Editor