First Impressions – Jusbox

I had wanted to try the fragrances from Jusbox for some time now. Milanese siblings Andrea and Chiaro Valdo founded the brand in 2016, with the goal of linking music with perfume. They already have 15 perfumes to their name. I received their “Greatest Hits” package as a gift for Christmas from a relative and have been wearing their scents through January. When taken as a whole, this “Greatest Hits” package contains a little too much filler to be considered a best of. However, I think a few killer singles lurk in this album too. Below are my first impressions.

The discovery set I received has 14 perfumes. Unfortunately, missing from the set is their latest fragrance, Suit of Lights. Let’s get the negative out of the way first. As I mentioned, a few tracks on this album are a little too run of the mill. Night Flow’s raspberry/leather combination seems to be a rehash of Tom Ford’s Tuscan Leather. A decent cover version, but a cover version all the same. The Kurt Cobain-inspired Black Powder runs along similar lines but uses apple and blackcurrant to complement the smoky suede leather accord. It doesn’t bring anything new to the table, but I prefer it over Night Flow. The worst of the lot is the overdose of woody amber synthetics in Cheeky Smile. It screeches more than fingers down the blackboard. 

The white floral duo of Feather Supreme and Use Abuse prove charming, if not a little forgettable. Feather Supreme goes down the hairspray route, pairing soapy white florals with fruity notes (apple). I prefer Use Abuse which mixes mandarin with tuberose, jasmine, and musks creating an orange sherbet effect. The rose, whisky, rum, peach, and vanilla of Sirens & Sailors was far too sweet and cloying for my sensibilities. 

I’m a big fan of U2, but I still haven’t found what I’m looking for in the ozonic, apple freshness of Micro Love. There is no excitement or love whatsoever, and it amounts to nothing more than a Hugo Boss, Boss Bottled clone. Live ‘N’ Loud features fizzy citruses over an amber/patchouli base. An enjoyable scent, but hardly loud, and I try as I might I couldn’t find any incense or oud. The oud was discernable in Golden Serenade, but it’s scratchy and tame and nothing original.

Three scents continue to intrigue me. They warrant further wear. Predictably, Julien Rasquinet uses a cannabis accord and patchouli to immortalise reggae in Green Bubble. However, the subtle injection of honey and amber add a sweet touch, and wormwood adds a herbal bite to elevate it above the mono-dimensional. Feel ‘N’ Chill and its quartet of coconut, fig leaf, woods, and watermelon brings to mind Philosykos, albeit a fruitier version. A good one for summer. Antoine Lie’s No Rules homage to punk mixes aldehydes leather, lavender, birch, cinnamon, and of all things a vinyl accord to quirky effect. The synthetic plastic nature of the vinyl accord mixed with the other notes is far from crowd-pleasing. However, it did have me bringing my wrist to my nose more often than usual. Unique.

The two standouts from the brand for mine are 14 Hour Dream and Beat Cafe. 14 Hour Dream takes its inspiration from Pink Floyd and the psychedelic underground. The vanilla/patchouli combo is nothing we haven’t seen many times before. However, the supporting notes of saffron, sandalwood, orris, ginger, and woods work so well together. The orris and sandalwood accords feel smooth, ginger adds a spicy layer, the saffron brings a leathery touch, and the woods give it a solid backbone. In the end, the vanilla wins out over the patchouli, so despite the inspiration, it never falls into the cliched “hippy dippy” territory. 

Beat Cafe smells the most rock n roll of all the Jusbox creations. It’s an edgy combination of funky leathers, tobacco, and cognac. Peppery notes and spicy coriander give it some bite before the woodsy vanillic dry down closes things out. Antoine Lie signed 14 Hour Dream, and Dominique Ropion was responsible for the Bob Dylan-themed Beat Cafe.

So, in conclusion, a bit of a mixed bag. It’s hardly a novel idea, and I’m not sure all the creations evoke the musical theme intended, but I think they execute the idea a little better than some other brands. Even though they’re not all hits, there are a few Jusbox scents worthy of a shot on your playlist/spray list.

Have you tried this brand? Do you have a favourite?