Like most things, my love of Sand + Fog started in a TJ Maxx aisle (similar to my love of Philosophy Body Wash, my love of Korean skincare, and my love of Byredo fragrances). 

There’s just something about a TJ Maxx trip on a rainy afternoon with no list, and just vibes. It’s actually the perfect self-care afternoon if I do say so myself. So when I heard they dropped a new perfume oil collection, I knew I had to get my hands on it. Because the girls love themselves some Sand + Fog perfume oils, and I didn’t want to be the last to have it in my collection.

Last month, Sand + Fog dropped the Dropella collection, which are 13 perfume oils in 50ml dropper bottles, each priced at $25. The lineup includes Bubble Gum, Coconut Castaway, Cotton Candy, Just Peachy, Mango Gelato, Mango Papaya, Newport Boardwalk, Orange Cream, Strawberry Shortcake, Sweet Honey, Vanilla Icing, Watermelon Sugar, and Wildflower & Honey. Right now they’re an online exclusive at sandandfoghome.com, so no TJ Maxx run is going to get you these just yet, but fingers crossed that changes. Between the candy notes, fruity body care revival, and skin scents dominating fragrance right now, the whole collection feels pulled straight out of a 1999 beauty supply store. Core summer memories have been unlocked.

Why I love it: The dropper format alone sold me before I even smelled anything. I’ve ruined more than one outfit going too heavy with an oil, so the fact that this one comes with a dropper is a gift. They don’t project the way a spray would (and they’re not supposed to), but they settle into your skin and stay there, and I mean that in the best way. That’s actually what makes them so easy to layer, which we’ll get to in a second. My personal obsession has been Just Peachy, which is exactly what it sounds like: warm, skin-close, barely-there peach. I’ve been layering it nonstop with Lancôme’s Peaches N’ Rosé and I’m not going to lie — I smell good as hell. It smells like a peach that’s been sitting in the sun, with just enough floral softness to keep it from being too literal. I’ve gotten more compliments wearing this combination than I have wearing some of my most expensive fragrances. Watermelon Sugar is also the runner up for me of this collection and I have a feeling it’s going to get just as much use this summer.

Perfect pairings: Layering is pretty much Sand + Fog’s brand philosophy, which they’ve made clear from the jump. Some combinations that have already been circulating online since the launch include Strawberry Shortcake with Miu Miu’s “Melentine” for something soft and feminine, and Watermelon Sugar with Oakcha’s “Watermelon Jam” if you want something that smells like you just bit into a watermelon at a cookout. Try Coconut Castaway paired with Kayali’s “Maldives in a Bottle,” which is basically a beach vacation in two bottles, which I support completely. Newport Boardwalk with Mugler’s Alien is the most unexpected combination on the list and also the most interesting, giving you this fresh, slightly otherworldly effect that really shouldn’t work as well as it does. And Bubble Gum with Kayali’s “Yum Boujie Marshmallow” is for anyone who grew up loving sweet scents and looking for the adult version of some of those combinations you used to love. Now nobody is asking you to throw out your Baccarat Rouge for this (I mean, who would be crazy enough to do that anyway?), but if you’re looking for an alternative (affordable) option to compliment some of your favorite scents or add ones to your rotation you haven’t purchased yet, Sand + Fog always fills in the gaps you didn’t know you had.

Final verdict: $25 is not a lot to ask for something this good, especially when the quality actually backs it up. I’ve had Just Peachy for less than a month and I’m already down to my last few uses, which says everything. It’s going to be a permanent part of my summer fragrance lineup and I’m going to need to re-up sooner rather than later. Get on sandandfoghome.com before these sell out.

The post ESScent Of The Week: Sand + Fog’s Dropella Drop Is The Most Fun Fragrance Launch Of The Season appeared first on Essence.