In the House is a feature on EauMG. I’m collecting my experiences from years of perfume sampling and putting together a quick brand overview. There are so many perfume lines out there that it can be overwhelming. My goal with this is to quickly introduce people to niche and indie lines that may be of interest to them.
Who’s in the house? Juliette Has a Gun
The History: Juliette Has a Gun was founded in 2006 by Romano Ricci, the great grandson of designer Nina Ricci. Romano partnered with perfumer Francis Kurkdjian (Jean Paul Gaultier Le Mâle, Elie Saab Le Parfum, etc.) to create a line of perfumes that are fashionable yet still elegant.
Regarding the unusual name, the brand site states, “In the creator’s mind, the innocent Juliet of Shakespeare is transposed to the 21st century with a gun… Metaphor for the perfume, weapon of seduction, or simple accessory of bluff, the “Gun” essentially symbolizes the liberation of women towards men…and sometimes with an aftertaste of revenge…”
My impressions of the brand: OK, this is going to sound judgey, but I’m being honest here. Spend some time on the brand’s website and tell me what you think…It seems to me that this brand was created for hip 20 something females (and younger) – MILLENNIALS. It’s like the sort of perfume she buys as soon as she gets out of school and gained entry level employment in a cool, new city. She felt like it was time for an upgrade. Time to ditch The Body Shop oils or the freebie Clinique Happy minis. She wants to treat herself to a new “grown-up” perfume, but oh, not too grown-up, none of that “old lady”¹ stuff. They’re really marketing to the “single and loving it” crow. Like a “20 something, bright-eyed, naive yet she’s been scorned a few times” sort of gal. Does that mean that’s who buys it? No. But, I can get the impression that is who they are wanting to buy their stuff.
Marketing demographic aside, my impression of the brand includes some hits and some misses. It’s a trendy brand and they are at their best when they aren’t at their trendiest.
Brand’s strengths: The pricing is on par with designer scents (like Chanel or Bottega Veneta) sold at department stores; this is rare for niche. I think the brand is at its best when it’s being authentic vs. trendy. Many of these have great staying power and the packaging is nice for the price. And they’re available internationally and have a nice discovery set. These are all benefits of being born into this industry; it’s that insider knowledge and all that money backing it up.
Brand’s weaknesses: They’re last few releases that I’ve tried have been pretty darn bad in my opinion. This is when they try too hard. And it comes across as desperate or well, stingy. Or maybe even cynical. I can’t tell but this may be the downside to being born into this industry…
I have tried all of them except for: “The Luxury Collection” and Gentlewoman (2015)
My favorite from the line that I’ve tried: Mad Madame, Lady Vengeance, Calamity J. and Midnight Oud. I own small bottles of Calamity J. and Midnight Oud. And I really enjoy wearing those.
My least favorite from the line: Not a Perfume and Anyway.
Comparable brands in style: Modern feminine perfumes from Chanel such as Coco Mademoiselle, Coco Noir and Chance, Etat Libre d’Orange, Memo Parfums or Histoires de Parfums.
You may like some of the perfumes in this brand if you like perfumes like: modern roses and amber perfumes.
Does the brand offer samples or a discovery set? Yes, they offer a great discovery set. Some retailers also sell individual samples.
Available products from this line: EDPs, travel EDP’s (AKA bullet spray, pictured above) and candles.
Price range: $90-$135 for EDPs. $285 for “The Luxury Collection” oils.
Where to buy – The brand’s site and they also have a great store locator. In the U.S., they’re available at retailers like Luckyscent, Beautyhabit, B-Glowing and Twisted Lily.
My 5 “Must-Try” Picks
Midnight Oud – If you like oud that isn’t oud-y. More like a rose/leather.
Mad Madame – A good, cold rose. It’s like a pissed off rose.
Calamity J – A really good amber…more like ambergris.
Citizen Queen – Try if you need an “upgrade” from popular Chanels.
Vengeance Extreme – A potent rose/patchouli. Only try if you want to seek revenge via patchouli.
Really if you are going to sample Juliette Has a Gun perfumes, I hope you like rose. And amber. Hopefully, you like both of those if you’re sampling this line.
You can follow Juliette Has a Gun on Facebook (in French) and Twitter.
¹The dreaded phrase that will automatically make me disregard anything one says about fragrance if those two words leave their lips…
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ok, i was fine with the name, i wasn’t thrilled with all the gun propaganda… but bullet shaped atomizers?? i’m out. repulsive.
I actually have perfume/product junkie friends that refuse to try/buy the brand because they do not like the gun and violence references with the brand. I respect their decisions. There are so many brands out there, there is no reason to support one that bothers you.
I do wonder though, if this was an American brand would it be received differently? Are bullets/guns/violence not controversial in Europe?
i think it depends on the country… i didn’t see ONE gun in Holland.. France is full of them.
I’m sure it’s extremely cultural. I’m from the South so I didn’t even realize that people could hate guns so much until I moved out of the region. Or let me rephrase that, I didn’t know it was such a controversial topic (I’m not even talking about gun control or laws, just like, guns. Yep, anything political can be polarizing; I’m not that dense, lol).
When I talk to UK friends, they are like, I’ve never seen a gun before. I don’t now if they are exaggerating or not. French friends say only for hunting.
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