Lipstick Queen x ÇaFleureBon

Rut row.. I really should not have looked at the review below, the 1st review per @alphairone (someone who I think does great write-ups btw). Just ordered a sample yesterday, now I am a bit nervous..! Crap. Oh well.. will update once it gets here and I can sit with it for a bit. **ETA/Update (July 30, 2026):** I slightly misinterpreted the reviewer below--or maybe I read too much into it? Either way my expectations were tempered (likely a good thing) before my sample ever arrived. I love so much of what Darren Alan puts out and yet I was semi-blindsided by this fragrance...! It is a little bit campy and a whole lot of vampy in a super fun + chic manner. Incredibly pleasant from start-to-finish. It is what I would imagine Mia Wallace wears when Vincent Vega and her dance at Jack Rabbit Slims (yes, the before and after are included as well). Absolutely loveable and wonderfully lived-in. The vibe is both glamorous and powerful. An aldehyde-heavy, floral-violet throwback reminiscent of the golden age of both cinema + Hollywood. It reads vintage in a way that is both approachable but also reserved.. this has Alan's signature for sure! So beautiful. Would not be a stretch to say that this leans more feminine on my skin and to my nose. A well-blended, long-lasting fragrance that remains playful in its naked vulnerability.

I like this (as a huge lover of violets & lipstick accords). It instantly reminded me of both Stardust by MiN which is a heavily aldehydic violet and Venice Rococo which is a lipsticky violet with aldehydes and animalic components. Lipstick Queen sits right in between them, with similarities to both. It is less aldehydic than Stardust but more aldehydic than Venice Rococo.

I love a good transgressive fragrance. You know, the ones that someone might argue aren’t “office friendly.” Animalic, even skanky scents—think Eris Ma Bête, MH L’Air de Rien, or pretty much anything from Marlou. However, throw caution to the wind and take myself and my eyebrow-raising sillage into public spaces and I can honestly say I haven’t received any unwelcome comments. I may suspect that a glance may mean someone is disapproving but I’ve never encountered a wrinkled nose or sour expression. I have found yet another bombshell to test out in the community. Lipstick Queen, Darren Alan’s release in collaboration with Cafleurebon @cafleurebonofficial, really surprised me. I had expected a waxy, cosmetic heavy-orris interpretation, but was so pleased to find that Darren takes nose-tickling aldehydes, an iridescent violet, a smattering of hazy flowers, and whips it all into a carnal frenzy. Costus, civet, and musk accords are blended with such gusto that it has me blushing as I wear it. Orris and salicylates only slightly soften the fervor, but the drydown feels like I am sniffing around where I shouldn’t be. Lipstick Queen has a sui generis drydown that rivals the raunchiest boudoir scents.