Ode To Dullness

Ode to Dullness opens bright and a little sharp. It’s a sweet, cold, fresh and clean, powdery and woody floral, but the freesia isn’t in your face. It moves into the heart quickly filled with sweet, soft, smoothness. And I think I’m going to like this! The star anise (badiane) is not prominent, which is very welcome for me as it’s a note that can be often strong and overpowering. Instead it adds a beautiful rich, earthy warmth with a slight spicy edge to this really nice, soft and cozy perfume. It’s floral and woody here too, but delicately so. In the dry down a lovely creaminess comes through along with the JHAG DNA of synthetic woody musks, which, so far, I haven’t been a fan of; I found it a bit sickening in Not a Perfume and an unwelcome note in Pear Inc. Here, it works really, really well in this perfume and the cetalox is not overpowering. There’s a pleasant tease of dry pepper when I bring my nose to my skin. The star anise becomes a bit more prominent in the dry down as well, as my skin warms up, but handled perfectly and blended softly to remain fitting for the profile of this scent. The importance of this note here, I feel, is that it gives this scent profile that little edge to keep it smelling like a perfume and not just a simple clean cotton towel accord. This is a delicate floral santal akin to a baby friendly fabric softener or a cashmere candle but has a slightly warm, spicy, peppery, powdery perfumey whiff to it that keeps my nose very much interested and happy. So, is it an Ode to Dullness? It’s certainly very different from scent profiles that usually catch my attention and make me want to purchase a full bottle. It’s present but not loud. But I feel that the name doesn’t do it justice... they should have called this an **Ode to Contentment**. It’s like sitting on a bar stool at the breakfast bar of a modern kitchen, gazing out of the kitchen window to view a city garden that is covered in a blanket of clean, white, untouched virgin snow. It’s day time, but you have the lights switched on due to the dark, wintery, steel hue in the sky outside, with heavy clouds blocking the sun with the promise of another flurry of snow. You’re wearing your favourite, luxuriously comfy, v-neck mohair jumper. You can feel the nip of clean, fresh coldness on the nape of your neck and décolletage as a pattern of frost gathering in the corner of the window catches your eye. It gives you a cheeky, exhilarating shiver that excites your spine but your body is warm and content with the soft, fluffy sweater tickling against your skin as you raise your shoulders to snuggle further into it. You’ve just finished cleaning the house and you are taking a moment to rest and pause, content in a quiet day at home, taken at your own pace, with the still, silent house all to yourself. You feel your shoulders relax as you take a deep breath in and out, happily lost in blissful, meandering thought as you wait for the kettle to boil, the tea bag cradled in anticipation of warm water and steam in the bottom of your favourite mug sitting on your sparkling, clean kitchen counter. Oh sweet, heavenly ode to dullness! This is a warm, wooly, comforting and cozy scent yet it’s cold, a bit clinical and modern, in every possible good way. Perfect for cooler weather. It’s clean cashmere bliss in a bottle and, dear reader, I like it very much so!!!

Juliette Has A Gun claim that Ode To Dullness was created as a tribute to blandness, a work of art celebrating the ordinary. Did they succeed? Does their creation truly celebrate the average, the normal, the bland, the dull? In my opinion, absolutely yes. My first experience with O.T.D. was at a Sephora while browsing, J.H.A.G. had a Rep in-store and we began discussing fragrances. I expressed my appreciation for Not A Perfume and shared where my nose generally gravitates with fragrances and the Rep quickly recommended O.T.D. and I instantly fell in love with this fragrance. O.T.D.'s listed ingredients make sense to what my nose is picking up. Warm, cozy, clean and simple. O.T.D. is perfect for lazy days around the house, a relaxing walk around the neighborhood, a road trip listening to NPR, or in my case a day searching through bookstores. This isn't a fragrance for the nightclub or bar, it's not a date night fragrance, honestly I wouldn't even consider this a daily wear fragrance unless you're a socially awkward, painfully introverted hermit like myself. I feel like most people's lives are quite a bit more exciting and less dull than my day to day life, this is my basis for saying I don't see O.T.D. as a daily wear for most people. The longevity is average on my skin, I get about 5-6 hours. The projection and sillage seem to be a bit lower than average but certainly not non-existent. This isn't a fragrance that you wear for others, this is a fragrance you wear for yourself and it does an amazing job in that role. I don't have any major issues with O.T.D., but I will say that O.T.D. wouldn't be my first choice for those hot summer days. Warmer days, sure but those HOT days O.T.D. would simply be to heavy. This would be my only disclaimer to anyone considering Ode To Dullness. Over the past few months I've really developed an appreciation for Juliette Has A Gun fragrances. I considered J.H.A.G. a "Sephora brand" that struck gold with Not A Perfume but for the most part wasn't for me. I was so wrong. Ode To Dullness and Sunny Side Up have become favorites to wear and fragrances that conceptually really resonate with me. My final thought regarding Ode To Dullness is that this a fragrance for the people who see the beauty in the ordinary, the people who find comfort in predictability, and those who prefer fragrances that feel like wearing a hug as opposed to a sandwich board sign. - 8.5/10 - Spring, Fall, Winter. Daytime. - Location/Situation... Toronto, Canada, 11AM, November... Another day. The same stained coffee mug, the same worn slippers, the same sound of your apartment buildings elevator lightly humming in the distance. In your younger years this monotony would have driven you to madness but as you sit here now you can't help but laugh at you're own naivety. Dullness to some may feel suffocating, but for you, Dullness is a weighted blanket that feels like a hug. - Song: Every Day Is Exactly the Same - Nine Inch Nails

I have been wearing Ode to Dullness everyday for a year, and it is definitely a lovely, soft, and comforting scent. I’d gotten the sample pack after hearing about the famous “Not A Perfume”, which ended up being a super irritating scent for me, and instead fell in love with Ode to Dullness. It is the definition of a “warm laundry” scent, very cosy and clean. I do not get the anise note or spice very much, but perhaps it is what that is quietly elevating the fragrance from your average clean scent to what it is. There was a while when it had irritated me a lot for reasons I still haven’t found, and took a break from the fragrance. When I returned after a week or so, the irritation was gone again. My father and sister who are especially sensitive to fragrances have also commented on how gentle it is on their noses, so it is most likely a safe scent for those who are easily irritated. In terms of performance, it is actually quite long lasting, my friends have commented on how consistent I smelled, one of them even saying that they thought it was my natural scent. I spray on one of my wrists and tap onto the other, and also behind my neck, getting some on my clothes too. It may disappear on you after a while because you had gone nose blind to it, I know that happens to me all the time, you will have trust that the scent is still there. The silage is moderate, others can smell it at arms length, perhaps a little closer. It’s non offensive yet very much present. It remains my go-to fragrance through the seasons, but I will say it’s definitely better suited for cooler weathers. Do test it on your skin before committing to a full bottle! Otherwise, Ode to Dullness is the cosiest, most comforting yet mysterious scent you’ll ever encounter.

I bought a tester of Ode to Dullness thinking I was challenging myself with it. I'm usually a floral and fresh girl, not woody. But oh how I was wrong, and I'm so glad I was. I've tested Not a Perfume before and I really didn't like it so I thought Ode to Dullness would be a shot in the dark. Turns out I hit a bullseye. Both have a burning plastic quality to them, but this time around, I think it works in my favor. The plastic feel always comes from amber notes for me. I believe it can never truly be replicated, it will always be synthetic on my skin. At the opening the spicy notes are very obvious. This scent reminds me so much of the wool trench coat belonging to a rich Tuscan mom. She came from humble beginnings and built herself up to where she is now. It is a fresh red manicure, drinking a glass of wine with your gals, and driving home afterwards in your Mercedes. This scent is so incredibly sexy I can't get enough of it. After this perfume settles a bit, I get reminded of New Year's Eve. It is the calmness of choosing a new beginning for yourself. Ode to Dullness has incredible longevity. I put it on before I called it a night, and while it did lose its punchiness after about an hour, by the time I woke up it still lingered on my skin and in my sheets. By then, I could finally smell the white florals Juliette has a Gun claims are in this perfume. Even if it was barely on my skin anymore. All in all, very sexy, very night out, very comforting. Ode to Dullness is a warm shoulder to cry on, she makes you feel good about yourself and she speaks confidently in a way you only wish you could begin to. I regret not blind buying an entire bottle, when fall rolls around Ode to Dullness will absolutely be in my rotation.

this perfume is one of those fragrances that doesn't SMELL like a perfume. it smells like a distant memory of a friend from childhood. it is warm and cozy, while still retaining a tiny bit of bite from the anise note. I was VERY nervous to try this perfume based on the notes alone, as I am not at all a fan of black licorice. fortunately, this fragrance is very well blended and the anise is not easily identified. I was worried I would be walking around smelling like a Good & Plenty, but that is far from the case. when I smell this, it's warm and cozy and rounded. it smells like a tight hug from someone you love. I will 1000% be purchasing a full bottle of this, and using it often. I could see this being a fantastic signature scent! I am wearing in summer currently and I feel like it's suitable for all seasons, at least indoors. I may not wear this on the beach or in the 90 degree heat outside, but otherwise it is not heavy or cloying in the slightest. EDIT TO ADD: i’ve been wearing this for 10 hours now, sprayed ~3 times on my shirt and on top of oil on both wrists and I still smell it STRONG, and it isn’t just musk. incredible!! 10/10 this may just become my signature.