Juliette Has a Gun Not a Perfume Fragrance Review

In late 2024, I decided to add a sample of a new fragrance to my Sephora order. I wanted to try one of the fragrance for a few years, but I wanted to try it first before I purchase it. When I saw it available as a sample, I decided to add it to my order.

The fragrance is by Juliette Has a Gun and it is called Not a Perfume. I was curious about it because it not only has one ingredient in it, Cetalox, it also is supposed to be allergen free.

Before I get into the review of the fragrance, I want to show what the Sephora sample box and bottle looked like.

The box looks similar to the boxes the full sized fragrances come in, except smaller…

And this is what the box and the fragrance look like together…

The one thing I love about the sample is that Juliette Has a Gun used a box to hold the sample in. Normally samples are sent in folded cards that have notches cut and folded to hold the fragrance in place. I prefer the box Not a Perfume comes in to the cards. Over the past few years, I’ve had problems with the fragrance sample getting loose and leaking. Not a Perfume was more secure and better protected.

The back of the box has a description of the fragrance…

Sephora’s listing for the full sized version of the fragrance describes it as…

Fragrance Family: Warm & Spicy

Scent Type: Warm & Sheer

Key Notes: Cetalox (Synthetic Ambergris)

Fragrance Description: Not a Perfume is a unique fragrance crafted from a single ingredient, Cetalox. This ingredient is known for its sheer and pure scent. This perfume is hypoallergenic and perfect for those who are seeking the ultimate skin musk fragrance that is subtle yet sophisticated.

About the Bottle: (The Full Sized Version of the Bottle. Not the Sample Version.)  The bottle is an extension of the fragrance’s minimalist philosophy. Sleek, with clean lines it brings an elegant yet understated look and feel. The simplicity of the bottle is crafted with attention to detail, ensuring it feels luxurious and high-quality.

About the Fragrance: Challenging the conventions of traditional perfumery by creating a fragrance with a single mollecular ingredient. A fragrance that is free from allergens, focusing on an olfactory experience and achieving a clean and singular scent that can be layered and worn by anyone.

 

The fragrance is definitely different than any other fragrance I ever tried. Since there is only one ingredient, it smells different on my skin than it does in the bottle. Just to make sure how different it is on my skin than what it normally smells like, I sprayed Not a Perfume on a tissue. It smells just the way it does in the bottle, but completely different on my skin. I believe this is due to the way the single ingredient reacts with the skin’s oils.

Since the scent is so unique and based of the wearer’s oils on their skin, it is impossible to describe the scent and how it will adapt to the wearer’s skin oils. When I wear it, it smells sweet, creamy, and even has some vanilla-like notes. I found this is normal for me when I wear fragrances that adapt to the wearer’s oils. I like how different it smells on my skin. I did notice it smelled like the cetalox, the only ingredient in the fragrance, but it blended with the other notes my skin made it smell like.

To be honest, I do recommend Not a Perfume. I like the concept, how it make my skin smell, and I also like how it is allergen free. It wears a long time (4+ hours) and I enjoyed it a lot. That said, I don’t know if everyone will like it. Since it is a fragrance based of the wearer’s skin oils, the fragrance may not create a scent that the wearer likes. I suggest trying to get a sample bottle (Like I did) or using an in store tester before buying a full sized bottle. Still, I hope anyone curious about this fragrance tries it out. I’m glad I did!

 

That’s all for now! Thank you for reading!