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CB I Hate Perfume

By Ronald Miller | April 7, 2015

Of all the senses, it is perhaps smell that is most visceral. From the steakhouse fumes that ignite our appetite to the cheap cologne on the guy in the elevator that leaves us with a headache, our ability to detect odors can shape social interactions in ways we don't generally think about. But Christopher Brosius has thought about it during a decades-long pursuit of crafting and reinventing fine fragrances.

His ironically named brand, CB I Hate Perfume, began developing unique and personal scents in 2004. Motivated by an initial fascination, and a subsequently disappointing realization that many perfumes were "downright disgusting and painful," Christopher left his gig at Kiehl's after four years of working with fragrances to pursue the craft independently. With scents like At The Beach 1966 and Greenbriar 1968, this is the brand you go to for an evocative and private quest to find your personal scent.

Certain collections are meant to capture a moment of time in Brosius' life. The aforementioned Beach scent's prime note is Coppertone (yes, the sunscreen) with subtleties that pull from the North Atlantic—wet sand and a wooden boardwalk. Black March captures "the faintest hint of spring" with green leaf buds and wet twigs. It's safe to say the brand is doing things a bit differently than your local Macy's cologne counter. So differently, in fact, that people actually began commissioning Brosius for their own custom scents at one point. And with their minimalist Williamsburg brick and mortar store, and online presence, CB I Hate Perfume has carved out a comfortable niche in the perfume industry. If you're in the area, stop in for a visit. If not, head online and test out a few different bottles of the relatively affordable scents.

From $20, available in a range of sizes, at CB I Hate Perfume

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