I found my new obsession and it’s from a brand I least expected it from.
The scent in question? Juliette Has A Gun’s Powder Love, which came out in September and I cannot stop wearing it.
The thing is, most of the popular scents from JHAG have never really landed with me. Not A Perfume – nope. My first thought literally was that this is not a perfume. Miami Shake – also nope. So the fact that I’m here writing about this fragrance should tell you something about how hard I’ve been fangirling over this one. I tried it a couple months back (with no real expectations, I must add), and it was love at first spray, which honestly doesn’t happen to me often.
The first hit is almost identical to Kayali’s Yum Bougie Marshmallow (in my opinion). The marshmallow and cotton candy are front and center and I literally thought I was experiencing déjà vu. My first instinct was disappointment because I thought this was something I’ve smelled before, so I was already mentally moving past it. But then within thirty seconds, the marshmallow is pretty much gone. The initial sweetness fades and something completely different emerges. The powder!
Once that marshmallow drops off, the almond comes through. It’s present but not overpowering, which I’m honestly glad about because I’m not the biggest fan of an almond note. The orange blossom’s there too in the background, but it’s subdued, which is different from one of the more popular orange blossom fragrances such as Love Don’t Be Shy where the orange blossom dominates (also not a huge fan of the orange blossom note). It’s just support here. Then the base settles in—tonka, ambroxan, powdery musk—and it doesn’t turn into one of those sticky, cloying gourmands. It stays pleasant and wearable, which is where I think Powder Love distinguishes itself from typical gourmands.
Why I love it: I love this because it doesn’t get cloying like most sweet fragrances do. Most of them turn into headaches halfway through the day, especially if you’re an oversprayer like me, but this one stays pleasant. The powder base keeps it from becoming one of those fragrances you regret spraying, in fact. It’s sweet but it’s not sticky, and it actually stays on your skin and smells good the whole time. I reach for it when I need something that’s going to make me feel soft, feminine and sweet.
Perfect pairings: Layering Powder Love lets you dial the scent up or down depending on your mood, and each pairing pulls out something different in the fragrance. If you want the powder to be the star, layer it under Maison Margiela Beach Walk. I know you may be thinking this will make you smell like a warm, summer day, but the clean, salty musk keeps everything airy so the powder reads even softer and more pronounced. For more warmth, Tom Ford Vanilla Tobacco deepens the sweetness without making it cloying and the shared tonka and vanilla add a creamy richness. When the gourmand leans too heavy, spray Diptyque Do Son on top because the white florals and citrus cut straight through the density and brighten its composition.
Two of my favorite discoveries, though? Clean Reserve Skin and Parfums de Marly Valaya. Skin turns Powder Love into a warm, milky, intimate cloud (the ambrette and soft musk melt right into the powder and make it feel cozy, creamy, and close to the body). If you want the opposite effect, Valaya gives the fragrance an airy, luminous lift with its pear, aldehydes, and clean musks that make the powder feel more polished and “quiet luxury.” Each pairing shifts the personality of Powder Love in a different way, which is exactly why I keep reaching for it.
Final verdict: Honestly, I’m shocked this came from JHAG (sorry guys, I still love you!). I went in expecting nothing and walked away unable to stop wearing it, which obviously was the best possible outcome in testing this one out. The powder keeps it from feeling like every other sweet fragrance out there, and it’s my favorite part. In terms of longevity, on my skin, this one lasts all day without fading away, stays pleasant the entire time, and there’s something about wearing it that genuinely shifts my mood in the best way. I can’t believe I’m recommending a Juliette Has A Gun fragrance this enthusiastically, but Powder Love earned it.