For decades, “Just Like Honey,” the bombastic wall of sound off of the Jesus and Mary Chain’s debut album, has been influencing artists of all types. While it took many elements of rhythm and melody from some of the earliest roots of rock music, the distorted-to-the-point-of-glitchiness guitars and dreamy vocals were an early harbinger of what would become shoegaze.
And beyond that, the song was the perfect complement to the breathtaking final scene of Lost in Translation. It seems like it could have been written for the movie if it had not predated its release by nearly 20 years.
So in that rich tradition, that song has inspired another work, this time the creation of my newest perfume, the aptly named Just Like Honey. It’s headlined by a big honey accord and backed by a warm wall of sound, with notes of tobacco, osmanthus, rose geranium, patchouli, myrrh, styrax and labdanum.
The Honey Accord
I often feel that many honey accords fall short in either lacking a floral note, leading it into syrup territory, or by adding a floral bouquet that drowns out the honey note. What I did was incorporate osmanthus essential oil, which really complements the honey note more than contradicts it, with its orange blossom and peachy nuances. However, as a counterpoint, I used rose geranium essential oil, which can blend in a touch, but has a bright, sharp component to it that adds some texture and breaks things up in its judiciously small dosage. Additionally, I added the fruity rose material of damascenone to give it a bit more excitement.
And also, I refrained from using beeswax in this accord so it is vegan friendly.
The Wall of Sound
In creating the big, fuzzy wall of sound, I wanted to use warm notes that complement the honey and ground it, much like backing instrumentation would. That began with a blonde tobacco essential oil, which is less rich and full than a regular tobacco, fitting in perfectly as a complementary note.
Then I went with some deeper, more resonant incense notes of styrax and Somolian myrrh, both sweet, spicy and well-behaved. I gave them both a bit extra with some spicy notes, including black pepper, a round cypress oil, javanol (a spicy sandalwood material that doesn’t really smell that much like sandalwood to me), and safraleine, a saffron-type material that places really, really well with tobacco notes.
Finally, I tried a bunch of different patchouli materials, seeking those that were smooth and not much on the dirty end. I ended up with a rich, sultry patchouli absolute, and an aged patchouli that has shed much of the loud, rubbery parts of the material. Finally, I added a big dose of Clearwood, which adds that airiness to Patchouli, focusing on the woody parts of the note, so it plays into that big, wall-of-sound note while breaking things up.
Finally, I chose a few musks, Iso Muscone and Celestolide. Iso Muscone is super warm and makes things feel smooth, while Celestolide is really hazy and adds to the feeling of smooth distortion. It’s a musk I relied upon heavily for The Fog Cowers. And finally, I used Spanish labdanum to add some richness, but I used the essential oil version so things didn’t get too heavy.
In the end, it’s a perfume that wears like an extrait but doesn’t feel super heavy. It gives me the exact type of excited, lovelorn feeling that I get listening to the song, and I hope that you get those same types of vibes. Just Like Honey is available now, so grab it and let me know what you think!
Scent Notes by Shawn Maher 