Burning Ben

Burning Ben belongs to Prin Lomros’ LGBTQ series, and was inspired by a subtle moment in the South Korean movie "Burning” where the “Ben” character struggles with a conversation that might be interpreted as homophobic, dredging up a host of complex feelings in himself. Burning Ben is a stunning phenolic scent that similarly unites all sorts of opposing elements – hazelnut, beeswax, burning tires, leather, and forest fruit – creating a surprisingly harmonious and “complete” whole, just like the conflicted humanity of Ben.

Burning Ben opens with a hugely realistic shot of espresso, with the dark, roasted flavor of beans brought perhaps a hair too far to burning point. Doused in a black, almost chewy sweet, spicy smoke, it feels like walking through the aftermath of a fire. But fear not, for the smoke clears and lifts in places, revealing intriguing hints of nuts, berries, saffron, and plums, notes that lend the austere smoke a gorgeously toothsome gourmand richness. A caramelized-butter amber, incense, and beeswax tandem shore all of this up from the basenotes, for a complex and rich finish that dawdles pleasurably between sweet, smoky, spicy, and sandalwoody without alighting completely on one or the other. If you love phenolic scents such as The Black Knight by Francesca Bianchi or T-Rex by Zoologist but want something softer and subtler for daytime wear, then Burning Ben could be for you.