NEW IN: I AM TRASH LES FLEURS DU DECHET by Etat Libre d’Orange

Americans love to smell fresh, clean, and buttoned-up versus European style of more animalic and unapologetically sensual fragrances. So leave it to cult brand Etat Libre d’Orange to take that earthier feeling and ramp it up a notch with their release of I AM TRASH LES FLEURS DU DECHET – a perfume that comes with the advice, “When the world becomes trash, might as well wear it.”

This idea is not the downer you might expect. I AM TRASH is made with upcycled cedar, rose, and musk notes imbued with fresh strawberries and green citrus accents. The idea is that all around us, in the forgotten trash and discarded waste from our consuming obsessions, there still exists a profound beauty left behind that shouldn’t be ignored but celebrated. Recycling our fashion sense, as it were, to lessen our selfish impulses on the planet. So, perfume notes from our discarded past is the new black, according to Etat Libre d’Orange.

But how does an upcycled scent smell, especially one asking us to revere and wear the trash we leave behind? Actually, pretty damn good. I AM TRASH has a bright, ripe, fresh fruit vibe happening, but also a lurking, more earthy theme going on underneath reminding you of decay and dissolution. Yes, it’s unusual, but very green and wearable, and won’t put anyone off in the least. There are roses matched to bitter, green orange rinds, and bursting strawberries encircled by animalic musk, and the whole composition comes together with an ancient grace.

I AM TRASH is definitely more of a celebration than a warning, and you won’t feel trashy at all with a spray or two, no matter where you are. Kudos to this already trailblazing line for getting back to serious scent basics and reminding us all that beauty is in the eye of the beholder (and their trash).