Dirty Rice

I’ve been in my rice era for a while now, trying to find a perfume that encapsulates a childhood memory of mine: going to order rice cake from the ice cream man and eating it in my great grandmothers Hawaiian traditional plantation home in the heat of the Hawaiian summer. I was trying to find a perfume that had the sweet gourmands of a rice cake, the smell of woody floors, a grandma’s home and humid air. And for some reason, this perfume does it. I went to Silverlake with a couple of friends and we were testing perfumes at a boutique. As I was testing perfumes, I came across BTSO Dirty Rice and I actually aimed wrong and sprayed it on my fingers. I sprayed on the paper, smelled it, didn’t smell anything and went on with my testing. But I kept getting whiffs of it on my finger. It was strange— I couldn’t smell it on paper, but on skin, it came to life. I sprayed it on my wrist, went outside to get a true smell and I think my heart skipped a beat. Creamy, milky sandalwood and this lingering sweet rice cake in front, with a feminine florals in the background, like a bouquet of flowers that’s been on the kitchen counter for 3 days. I sprayed my whole body with this before leaving the boutique. So comforting and gourmand. But not sickly sweet, syrupy gourmand. It’s extremely grounded, inviting, uplifting yet calm and homey at the same time. It’s a skin scent, making it very personal and the scent bubble is very small. But the vibe of the perfume is a little bit more extroverted. Like a girl who has a small and private circle, but can also be friends to everyone, no matter their background. It definitely leans feminine but not in a girly way. It leans feminine in a way that kindness and friendliness evokes feminine energy. This is a “quiet girls girl.” Someone who is a girls girl but isn’t performative or showy about it. She has a great heart and supports the women in her life through personal and thoughtful ways. If I can compare this fragrance to anything, it would be Valaya Exclusif, but without the fruit notes and an added rice note. They do share an almond note after all. This is much more wearable than Valaya, however. The combination of Almond and Sandalwood honestly does something to my soul because I had the same reaction to smelling Valaya. My only complaint is that this lasted only an hour before it completely vanished. I’m actually quite disappointed by that, but it makes sense because it’s a skin scent.

I'm on a quest for the perfect rice fragrance, and this is stop number one. I've had my eye on BORNTOSTANDOUT for a while, and though reviews have warned that this isn't a photorealistic rice fragrance, I was still delighted to receive it as a gift. In its earlier stages, it has far more projection than expected, even if it gets more intimate as it evolves. The initial spray on paper is completely sandalwood — soft, creamy, smooth. The same comes through on my skin, though I will note that the scent does vary based on the day, much like another creation of Olivier Cresp: my beloved Juniper Sling by Penhaligon's, the scent that got me into fragrances. One thing I do appreciate about scents like these that are a little "inconsistent" is that I never get tired of them, even if I'm wearing them multiple days in a row. There's always something new to discover. After a few minutes, it morphs into an almost powdery, plasticky peony scent. It's at this point that the fragrance started to really stick more intimately to my skin, and I see why people called this one a "skin scent"; it's not just the neutral muskiness of the scent itself, but also the way it barely hovers over your pulse points. Its final form is a starchy, milky development on the peony, and whilst I am absolutely in love with the starchiness of it, it very much does feel like a fragrance inspired by rice water or rice milk rather than rice itself. Perhaps the Korean drink makgeolli was an influence? The almond adds a bit of nutty sweetness. It does make me feel a little as though I'm enveloped in a soft, fluffy blanket. It's not overly lactonic, but there is an undercurrent of that depth that you get when you smell milk versus water — almost like a cloudiness. So, no, Dirty Rice is not a photorealistic rice fragrance, but I wasn't really asking it to be, either. In fact, I think we need to reinterpret the name, because "dirty rice" is exactly what I get — the starchy, discarded water left after a thorough wash of the eponymously dirty rice, like a memory of that dirtiness tucked into a capsule for your enjoyment.

I was underwhelmed when I first tried Dirty Rice at the NYC LuckyScent bar on my search for rice perfumes, influenced by the note's rising subcultural traction. On paper the fragrance’s composition paled in comparison to the more striking samples I tried that day, and I forgot about it soon after. However, when I tried it again on my skin on a whim, something about the scent elusively whispered to me. I began going into the store to spray it on myself at the end of almost every one of my shifts, intoxicated by an indefinite quality that I just couldn’t quite articulate, and I eventually purchased the full bottle. Dirty Rice opens with an almost-damp woodiness but rapidly warms into a creamy, lactonic scent embracing the skin, like the smell of your Mom cooking rice pudding wafting into your childhood bedroom or the nostalgic comfort of drinking a cup of warm milk before bedtime. I tend to avoid lactonic-forward fragrances, but I’m deeply entangled in my love affair with Dirty Rice’s delicate starchiness, kissed by powdery musk and enriched with uber-creamy sandalwood. It's not a intense scent by any means, with a sillage best described as intimate, but I find this subtlety to resemble a fond memory, held tightly to the heart and only shared with one's most cherished loved ones. Understated but entirely present - Dirty Rice just might be my new favourite everyday scent.

It's a gorgeously soft & delicate and calming comfort scent, with just tiny bit hint of "dirtyness" which gives the fragrance cozy, intimate & body closeness vibe what is enchanced by the fibrous & lactonic quality of the sandalwood. It's a smooth, mellow, sticky milky rice pudding which is somehow dense but also ethereal & airy at the same time. The thick & dense feeling comes from the "play-dough " creamy-dollop / posh like quality of the almond but the scent itself doesn't get heavy on it or at all thanks to (among other things) that sophisticated ricepowdery-musky powderiness. It's milkwarm & sweetish one but it's sweet in a mild, light & neutral way. This fragrance is full of softness, sensitivity and touched by intimate sensuality. It's feel like when you feel yourself safe and cozy close to your loved one. It's just like the sensitive caring, how you touch something fragile and precious. It's smells like as the feeling when the softest cashmere embraces the skin.

This is a delicious scent. I instantly got the rice and almond, dry down is when the milk and sandalwood start to peek in. And then I get the harmony of all of the notes with that hint of peony and vetiver. I really love this scent actually. I see myself purchasing this and layering it with Freckled and Beautiful by A Lab On Fire. They both have this lactonic essence but the wood of this one with the green of freckled would be an interesting and scrumptious pairing. Back to dirty rice, I have been itching to try this for a year now and finally smelling it didn’t disappoint. It actually exceeded my expectations. It’s comforting and woody. The wood notes reallt ground the rice and milk notes beautifully. It reminds me of the color mauve and grey. It has a delicate balance that embodies dirty rice so expertly. Yes it smells like unwashed rice, but it also has a sensual and smoky dynamic that my nose finds very addictive. The duration is great and the projection is good.

Yes, it does smell like Sunny Side Up which I already own. Dirty Rice is slightly sweeter, less woody, and has a toasted coconut note, which I really, really like in Dirty Rice! They are still too similar to justify having both. If I were to do it differently, I would go for Dirty Rice. I received several complements on my scent within the first hour at work wearing this which really motivates me to buy this. This is like a lactonic rice desert, soaked in a slightly sweetened cream, covered with toasted coconut. I do not get the references for Wonder Woman or Another 13. I do see similarities to Milky Musk, which I've already noted was similar to Sunny Side Up and Magnifying Sandalwood by Bulgari. The creaminess here isn't exactly lactonic now that I think about it, it's more like the creaminess you get from a lovely, sweet, decadent, creamy sandalwood note and I think is replicated here by the rice and sandalwood.

The name is deceiving, I don't get much rice or dirtiness. It's more sandalwood than anything else. That being said, it’s SO BEAUTIFUL. The creaminess of sandalwood is amplified with milk, while peony balances it with a touch sweetness (think floral sweetness not sugary sweetness). I've been looking for a sandalwood that does not remind me of Santal 33, and this one hits the mark. It's much more creamy, lactonic, and fresh. The only thing stopping me from pulling the trigger on a full bottle is that it stays pretty close to the skin and doesn't have great longevity. Edit: I caved and bought a full bottle. The combination of sandalwood, peony, and almond just had me in a chokehold. I kept craving it after I finished my 5ml decant. I’ve resorted to over spraying the hell out of myself and enjoying it for a lovely few hours. No regrets.

Tried it on a cool, windy and sunny spring day. Sillage is closer to weak, it was the wind doing the most of the job. The scent was strong and heady, however. My skin tends to love spice, therefore I looked for a milky perfume that could counter my skin chemistry. The result was a bomb of rice, milk and almond, and i am huge fan of all 3. After the perfume dried, the peony jumped out (not a bad note, given my aversion to floral smells) and then faded quietly, like an intermission. Then it was back to the notes interlacing with a thick smell of sandalwood. My skin made it smell like an expensive and creamy body lotion, and after 8 hours, I still feel a sweet smell linger on my wrist. I might come back and buy a full bottle, after such a charming day long performance. I'm not even a fan of such sweet perfumes, and yet...

A unique scent that's also comforting, familiar and safe. Like travelling to a new country but oddly there's feelings of home when you land. The rice is immediate and delicious. It's cooked with almond milk and is still warm. There's no dirtyness to this whatsoever. It's clean, slightly powdery, milky, lightly sweet, floral, a touch of musk. The ending is freshly cut sandlewood & cedar (not the incense version), and weirdly I only pick up on the citrus here! Fluidly shifts from warm and cosy to brighter and more outdoorsy. I can imagine wearing it in all seasons bar very sweaty heat. Unisex - feminine. The only negative for me is I wish it was louder & longer, I could drown myself and everyone around me in this. It's just divine. I realllyyyy love this scent. Full bottle worthy for me.

definitely the best i've tried from this house! i wanna say it's a fantastic 'your skin but better' scent, but it's more like your skin with an expensive body lotion. the rice in this is so lovely and the milk and almond give it a nice hint of lactonic sweetness. also, not to be pedantic, but i think some reviews are taking the "dirty" in the title far too literally. if you look at BTSO's description on their website it's clear they mean "dirty" in the sensual sense, which i think the fragrance fully succeeds at. so if you're looking for something challenging or a rice scent with an edge, this is definitely going to disappoint - but if you're open to an intimate scent (with great longevity i should add!) i think this is an exceptional choice! overall rating: 🩷🩷🩷🩷💔 4.5/5

Ok, let's start with this...not dirty but rather clean and white. On my skin projecting mostly almond, rice and milk with a slight musky dry down. There is a flowery balance. I'm not familiar with peony scents, feels more rosy to me, Agent Provocateur kind of rose, if you know what i mean... maybe that's the dirty side!! Similar to Blanche Bete in a way, i get the same lactonic, musky vibe. It is fluffy, cozy, homey... close to the skin, but definitely stands out! If it's not your love at first sniff, maybe it's the kind of love that has to grow on you! Give it a chance! Bought a bottle and wearing it the last couple of days. I'm not sure if the people around me can smell it, but i do all the time, all day long hanging around me in a comforting cloud. Lovely!

The steamy romance story the brand uses to describe this fragrance is accurate...at least for me. There is a carnal pheromone quality to this fragrance in the way that it dries down (at least to my nose) The musk in this is sexy and there is a “dirty” quality to it that is attractive to me for both men and women to wear. I don’t get any rice and only a whisper of almond. The peony softens this in a nice way. This isn’t a loud fragrance, I’d definitely say it’s moderate and it’s perfect for what this seems to be intended for by the brand... Edit: the more I wear this, the more I pick up on the rice note now...but it’s more of a raw, uncooked rice IMO

A creamy, milky, and woody rice fragrance. This is a woody basmati rice scent with fresh peonies and milky notes. This opens with some powdery almond that quickly develops into a powdery basmati rice smell. The rice in here smells similar to uncooked rice and is paired with some milkiness and fresh and clean peonies. The dry is a more woody forward and musky rice scent with a crisp cetalox, dry vetiver and sweet sandalwood. I love how woody of a rice scent this is, and the milkiness is a nice touch. This also only has a mild sweetness to it which works to really highlight that white rice smell. Lovely fragrance

Update: I bought the bottle. My opinions are the same as before: it's sweet, clean, inoffensive. Now that I think about it, it's very unlike me if I describe it this way. If I say it's reserved, can please a large audience, straightforward with the exception of one or two curveballs, that's more like me. Much like milk can sooth the burn of spice, this rather unadorned scent can paint me in a more tame light. It's enjoyable regardless. It's a good fit for an office fragrance. It smells like a very expensive body lotion, has a very pleasant waft in the wind. I've been in a milky scent bubble all day.

i've tried around two dozen rice-centric fragrances in the hopes of finding one that captures that starchy, steamed, fresh-from-the-pot smell. this is the closest i've found, and my favorite by far. it is so gentle and comforting and soft it almost feels maternal (not matronly/old, moreso that it evokes hugging your mom as a small child). slightly powdery like dry rice grains, but has a creamy/airiness that captures that steamed-starch effect to my nose. absolutely gorgeous, but outrageously expensive at retail price, especially being so light-wearing that it requires many sprays for me to smell it.

I love this fragrance and I honestly didn’t expect to. It’s warm and nutty and I know some people don’t smell rice, but it’s definitely there but more complex. I think people who like true rice scents might not like it, but gourmand lovers please try it! Don’t let the wood notes fool you. The only thing I wish it had was a better projection!!! It lasts on my skin but doesn’t get pushed into the air. I like to wear this after a shower before bed. It’s calming and warm. I bought a sample but I’m def buying a full bottle!

I accidentally stumbled upon the flagship store in Seoul. The shop itself is a masterpiece—curved red walls and provocative messages like "Who f*cking cares?" draw you into the experience room. All the scents I tested were well-crafted in terms of quality. Not all of them are wearable; however, the Dirty Rice stands out as a pleasant everyday choice. Yes, it is another musk scent, but it has so many nuances. I don't mind how gentle it is—I love pulling my sweater's neck out just to catch whiffs of this scent.

I fell in love with this scent. Its creamy, sensual and comforting. Its not offensive in any way, and I cannot detect this alcohol-scent that comes with most perfumes. I love that its also good for all weather. It has this “kick”, this spice that makes it sexy. There is no more words in dictionary to explain how this scent made me feel. Im totally in love. Worth being signature fragrance 🩷 Kinda milky, kinda aromatic, little spicy but comforting? Genius! (I wish it lasted longer tho ;(()

I honestly didn't expect to like this perfume, but I really, really do. I bought a sample without checking the notes, thinking it would be a spicy, animalic rice scent, but it’s not that at all. At first I was annoyed, but the more I wore it, the more I understood why people seem to love “skin” scents. This truly feels like a warm hug from a family member you haven’t seen in a long time. It’s soft, comforting, but not boring in the way I find Glossier You to be.

Floral, musky sandalwood scent. The floral elements are very present on my skin. I don't think it smells particularly like rice, but I think the attempts to evoke a rice- or milk-like smell have rounded off the sandalwood and musk into something that smells like very clean human skin. Low projection, but lasts forever. If you apply it to your clothes, it will last through the wash.