The Thousands

Of all the senses associated with the human body, the sense of smell is my favourite. Always has been. So much so that my parents (upon my request) actually gave me a bottle of Brut 33 for my eighth birthday. It was on this fateful day that I first realised that we, as humans, generally smell bad. Christopher Brosius is a man who shares my childhood realisation. While working as a taxidriver in New York during the 80s he developed a healthy disdain for the natural and unnatural stench of his passengers. Brosius was so affected by this experience that he set out on a path to create his own perfume.

The result, CB I Hate Perfume, is an unconventional coupling of chemistry and contemporary artistry, dedicated to the ol factory of the everyday. CB’s extensive range of alcohol-free fragrances are centred around the notion of past experience and each variety takes its namesake accordingly. At The Beach is a subtle compound of wet sand, driftwood and seaweed. Burning Leaves is precisely that – burning leaves. And my personal favourite, In The Library is a warm blend of leather bindings, worn cloth with just a hint of wood polish. Perhaps it’s time I retired the trusty Brut.