The Informant: D.S. & Durga’s Coriander Is a Pitch-Perfect Unisex Scent
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Navigating the world of fragrance is hard. As a man, you first have to first overcome social conditioning about it — namely, the idea that the only viable scents are ones that sound like ecological disasters. (Forest Frenzy? Bermuda Triangle? Steel Hurricane? You’re probably in the deodorant aisle.) After deprogramming, you have to actually find notes that work for you, e.g. tobacco or oud or leather. A lot of us prefer the fresher, less limiting options provided by unisex fragrances, or perfumes marketed to women that can meld really well with your body chemistry.
D.S. & Durga has a variety of great unisex scents that are worth splurging on. I used to stop by the brand’s location in Williamsburg, Brooklyn for a spritz of Radio Bombay or Jazmín Yucatan, but my all-time favorite is Coriander. The problem with many unisex scents is they either lean too flowery or musky for my taste or just smell overpowering. I like something light and slightly earthy, something I can wear to the office, farmer’s market, or out to dinner with friends. (Things can go wrong in the other direction, though — many “light” scents, which usually involve the words “soapy,” “salty” or “breezy” — seem to vanish upon touching my skin.
Coriander strikes a perfect balance, though. It’s pretty much replaced Glossier You as my go-to office scent; it fulfills the same niche for me, while also being its own thing. Both Coriander and You are sweet and spicy, a combination that smells especially good on me. (Perfumes that are warmer, such as the myriad vanilla-based ones, tend to dry down into something sickly-sweet on me by the end of the day.)
Let’s get into the notes: The combo of coriander, juniper needle, geranium, and sage is really what makes it unique. The fragrance perfectly nails the type of herby freshness that makes me feel like I’ve just showered, all without being earthy in a way that I find irritating.
Coriander projects well and also lasts reasonably long — I’d say for about three or four hours — before it begins to smell light and watery on my wrists and neck. So it’s not the perfect choice for people who want their perfume to last all day, but it’s ideal for someone like me, who likes that delayed-release approach to fragrance.
Some of us are forever searching for that perfect, subtle scent that stands apart from the Baccarat Rouges, Bleus de Chanel, and Aventus Creeds. If you’re forever stopping by plant nurseries on your way to work for a quick, transportive sniff, Coriander might be the right vibe for you, too.
Coriander Perfume by D.S. & Durga
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