[unpaid/sample] This brand is so interesting and it’s a marker of the shape of things to come in fragrance world. There are several big fragrance creation houses – Symrise, Givaudan and Firmenich amongst the most in demand – and they’re all working on AI scent creation. Confessions of Rebel is a sub-brand of Scentbird, a subscription based fragrance brand in the USA. Using Scentbird data analysis, Firmenich created the Confessions Of A Rebel perfumes using markers including consumer descriptions and used the findings to build the final product for COAR. I found a really informative article by Emma Sandler HERE for Glossy which explains it all far better than I could but one thing is completely clear – AI is biggest innovation for the perfume industry in years.
I think it’s key to the UK nose that the data was taken from USA consumers. We have different olfactory tastes just as every continent and country does – there are scent profiles that resonate for reasons close to home and while I think Confessions Of A Rebel is a work of marketing and technology genius I am on the fence about how translatable the profiles are. Global brands take into account ‘suit-all’ notes – a good example might be how some of our brands are subtly moving their profiles to fit the Chinese market – citrus led fragrance is everywhere (which suits me right down to the ground!) and that’s a popular profile globally, including China. Confessions is purely USA preference driven.
I think it’s fair to say that if you like your fragrance on the sweeter side, you will find it here. The one I thought I’d like least is Love High which is described as woody fruity with apple, peach, orange flower, jasmine and sandalwood but it’s the one of the three I have here that I like the best because the orange blossom is a beautiful citrus hit. It really is fruity and woody, dries down creamy and floral and is something I could sit with quite happily. Bitch Please is also woody fruity with blackcurrant, raspberry, jasmine, oak moss and sandalwood. Again, the creaminess is impressive but these fruits give me a bit of a gourmand vibe and for that reason, it’s not for me. it’s the sort of scent that makes me think of walking into Victoria’s Secret…initially quite thrilling but soon overwhelming and I get a vanilla vibe from it. Get a Room is woody amber and of the three, it’s the most ‘expensive’ smelling and the one that lasted the longest on me. The key notes (and that’s the same for all – exact and full notes aren’t listed) are Apple Tree, Mandarin, Cypress, Vanilla, Clary Sage.
The twist up top is sleek and stylish and perfect for travel (which is good given that they are travel sprays) and I love anything monochrome with a twist of colour so on that level it’s a very appealing first impression. My inclination is to say get the Fragrance Flight set for £25 HERE because it’s redeemable against a full size bottle. They’re only small vials but it’s quite a scent adventure and it will decide you one way or the other if this brand is for you. Overall, I think everything is just a bit too expensive – Confessions Of A Rebel is new to the UK and it’s a big ask for consumers to shell out £100 (the full size) on the unknown, especially when it’s AI driven and there’s no humble artisan with a back story to buy into. Otherwise, I’d suggest reading reviews first (I headed to Fragrantica.com to see what others had to say and reviews are mixed but interesting) and opt for the Travel Spray which is £25. I love the experimental nature of this – its exciting and fascinating but I’m not sure we are ready :-).
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