Oscar Wilde was one of the first artists to dismiss the didactic, moral, political, and societal functions of literature, instead opting to create “art for art’s sake”. This notion is perhaps best embodied in his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. Much like Narcissus in Greek mythology before him, the titular Dorian Gray becomes obsessed with his beauty and youth. Desperate to keep them from being ravaged by time, he strikes a bargain in which he remains unaffected by the passing of time, while a portrait of himself – sensibly kept in the basement – displays his ageing process and bears the brunt of his wrongdoings.
You’ll also enjoy:
Why Unisex Scent Gucci Mémoire d’une Odeur Smells Good On Everyone
Timeless Men’s Fragrances That Make an Impression
Switch Up Your Scent With These Romantic Spring Fragrances
As Dorian’s mortality wanes he begins to seek out ugliness, ultimately self-destructing in the process, in a similar way to his aesthetic predecessor Narcissus. Heavy. Rather than focus on the potential repercussions of a little too much self love, Marc Jacobs’ newest fragrance Perfect captures the essence of youth and beauty.
Like most of his fragrances, Marc Jacobs Perfect is a floral scent. Centred on the Narcissus flower (i.e. daffodils), Perfect opens with a dramatic sweet yet earthy top note of daffodils with a hint of sharpness from rhubarb, which give way to mild almond milk, cedarwood, and cashmere notes. Though the floral notes are slightly overpowering on first application, Perfect dries down to a soft, creamy scent that enhances the smell of your skin.
While we know it’s what’s inside the bottle that counts, we do enjoy that each Marc Jacobs fragrance comes in an aesthetically pleasing bottle. The crowning jewel that is Perfect’s cap features an eclectic mix of charms – a domino, shoes, star, banana, dice, cherries, and cat – in Jacob’s signature style.
The only drawback? Like youth and beauty, Marc Jacobs Perfect is fleeting. A light, ephemeral scent, Perfect is lovely on, but doesn’t stay around quite as long as you’d like (or frankly, expect from an eau de parfum). We think Dorian Gray and the other aesthetes among us would appreciate Perfect by Marc Jacobs.
Words by T. Angel