XX ± Latex

langsat below got it right, however my personal experience is a bit different. I don't get that many ozonic/marine notes in the beginning but purely rubber mixed with a bug spray. It's not 100% latex but definitely latex/rubber doll vibe, also a bit medicinal. Anastasia described it here: https://www.fragrantica.com/news/The-Fragonard-Flower-of-2024-is-Lilac-Let-s-Cherish-Its-Delicate-Scent-19600.html as 'the very essence of a panic attack' and I must admit it is accurate at this point. However it sounds, the scent is not necessarily horrible here. It is definitely artsy and interesting, more conceptual than wearable, highly kinky. It does bring a connotation of BDSM scenery but slightly different than expected. It is like stepping into a BDSM studio filled with latex and medicinal accessories, disinfected between sessions, which brings memories of your own session - rubber worn by your dominant partner, mixture of fear and excitement. Despite the fact this scent is a part of collection that is about materials worn by a person, to me it is linked to a place/material objects rather than a human being. If you refer to BDSM world again, it evokes medical play and rubber fetish more than anything else. Given this, I wouldn't call it sexy or erotic at this point. However, if you're a kinkster keen on rubber, it can be a narcotic, even orgasmic, smell for you. After about 30-60 minutes, the scent sits more on skin and turns into a musky/lactonic, intimate fragrance. It is perfectly wearable and likeable from now - and I'm saying it as a person who hates 99% of niche perfumes. I don't get any distinctive floral notes here, just a well blended musky/lactonic/fresh laundry mixture. Like a warm shower and a relief after medical play. It goes in a similar, not the same but similar, direction that Morning Muscs by Alexandre.J or Not A Perfume by Juliette Has A Gun. The overall experience is obviously synthetic and slightly harsh in the beginning, but not overly synthetic and harsh. For example, all the Mancera/Montale fragrances are far more synthetic to my nose. It is super interesting how it smells and evolves after a while. On a conceptual level, it is a very successful creation. The name is very accurate to me and the scent obviously speaks to kinksters in their own, hidden language. It is interesting enough for non-kinksters, but for the BDSM tribe it is a special thing, with its own code. I'd bet that Antoine Lie is a fetishist himself. I've never smelled Pop by Stella McCartney, but I have a gut feeling that its famous sweet plastic/Barbie girl note makes this perfume a sort of angelic/baby twin sister for XX ± Latex.

First spray: salty, marine aldehydes! I’m not sure if the aldehydes are mixing with the vinyl, but the scent is very chemical/artificial on first spray. Like salty doll plastic mixed with fresh laundry mixed with bug spray (and not necessarily in a bad way). I do smell something floral beneath the aldehyde/saltwater/plastic combo, but I’m not necessarily identifying it as rose or saffron (and I’m not super keen on differentiating florals). It definitely is a little powdery too. It’s that hint of powdery-floral-laundry that gives XX±Latex a slightly more femme feel for me. As it dries, it does get more musky—some type of spice pops out a little bit, centering it more towards a true unisex scent. The chemical sea salt does its work and carries through to the end. Pretty light-to-medium sillage and longevity overall, which I generally associate with “ozonic marines” anyway. Overall, it’s kinda like I put on bug spray and unscented sunscreen and lounged at the beach all day and got salt stuck to my skin. I think this could be a surprise summer daytime (or perhaps night too, it has a little bit of sex appeal to it) scent to the right person. For me, the artificial smell is a little too overwhelming and gives me a bit of a headache, despite me finding it mostly fairly attractive and pleasing. Rating: 6.5/10