Picture it: Traveling the world and taking in all the sights, sounds, and smells all from the comfort of your couch. Okay, I know—sounds like a bit of a stretch, right? Well, you can have the next best thing. I've always loved a luscious fragrance that takes you somewhere else. You catch a whiff and boom—you feel like you've just been transported to the coast of Italy or the jungles of the Yucatán Peninsula. A brand that really does this for me is D.S. & Durga. It basically invented armchair travel solely through the creation of its magical scents.
The brand is founded by powerhouse couple David and Kavi Moltz, who are so cool I basically want them to adopt me. (Consider this my official request.) They think of the art of perfumery as conjuring unseen worlds. "A great scent is a world you can return to over and over—a keyhole into another realm," David says. "You can travel via the mind-nose connection to larger collective spaces. I try to create realistic objects and scenes that place the mind in a particular space. You are whisked away through the web of accords, the name, description, playlist, and images we provide."
Of course, my undying love for the brand led me to attempt to compile a list of its best scents—a truly impossible task because they're all good. Nevertheless, I tackled it. In no particular order, you'll find the absolute best D.S. & Durga fragrances of all time below. As a bonus, you'll also find David and Kavi's personal signature scents. Keep scrolling.
1. Spirit Lamp Scented Candle
The name alone is enough for me to smash the buy button on this tea-inspired candle. It remains a popular pick (even among us editors) for its hypnotic and spicy notes.
2. Portable Fireplace Scented Candle
This is another smoky, rich option for all you candle lovers out there. It envelopes the room with the aroma of a burning fireplace in the best way possible. Perfect for those nights you don't want to light a fire but would still love the cozy feel of one.
3. Big Sur After Rain Hand Sanitizer
Because hand sanitizer is an absolute must-carry everywhere, you might as well have one that smells deliciously crisp and fresh. This is a sanitizer version of the brand's Big Sur After Rain Candle ($65).
4. I Don't Know What Fragrance Enhancer
Key notes: bergamot essence, Iso E Super, vetiver acetate, civettone, firsantol, ambrox super
The duo describes this concoction as *the* ultimate enhancer to any fragrance, saying, "It's like a building with no interior. Wear it alone for a radiant modern skin scent, layer over your favorite oils, other transparent fragrances, or old fumes you no longer dig."
5. Jazmín Yucatan Eau de Parfum
Key notes: passion flower, water, bergamot, jazmín yucateco, sambac, clove, snake plant, vetiver, copal
This fragrance is reminiscent of none other than the Yucatán Peninsula—the heat of a tropical rainforest on your skin. "This encapsulates jungle jazmín in humid water, passion flower, and copal resin. Portable armchair travel to the sacred interior of the area."
6. Coriander Eau de Parfum
Key notes: Russian coriander, pepper, juniper needle, geranium, clove stem, clary sage, musk, magnolia, mace
Dab a bit of this on, and you're instantly transported to the ports of Odesa, Ukraine. "It has that fresh, green, cool spice to it. It's aquatic, pungent, and smells good on anyone."
7. Debaser Eau de Parfum
Key notes: bergamot, green leaf, pear stem, fig, coconut milk, iris, blond woods, tonka bean, moss
This is one of my personal favorite D.S. & Durga offerings, not just because it's named after one of the Pixies' best songs (don't @ me) but because it smells so refreshing with a woody undertone. The brand describes it as nothing if not "symphonic."
8. Radio Bombay Eau de Parfum
Key notes: radiant wood, copper, cedar, sandalwood, radiant iris, boronia, balsam fir absolute, coconut musk, ambergris
Another favorite of mine, this fragrance really took me by surprise when it arrived. I was pleasantly surprised with just how lush and decadent it smells. Sandalwood will always have a special place in my heart, so naturally, I love that this fragrance is loaded with it and lingers in such a pleasant way.
9. Cowboy Grass Eau de Parfum
Key notes: rosewood, wild thyme, bergamot, sagebrush, basil, rose otto, vetiver, grass, ambergris
This is the fragrance that put the brand on the map back in 2008. It continues to be a hit for its unusual (yet intoxicating) mix of fresh bergamot with dusty thyme and clary sage.
10. Bowmakers Eau de Parfum
Key notes: violin varnish, mahogany, outdoors accord, amber pin rosin, maplewood, cypress, spiced tree resin, cedar, moss
Bowmakers is a real fan favorite for its elegantly woody aroma inspired by the craftsmen of the 1800s in Massachusetts Bay. Notes of mahogany and maplewood really drive the theme home.
11. Rose Atlantic Eau de Parfum
Key notes: bergamot, petals, lemon oil, linden, rose accord, dune grass, muscone, saltwater, white moss
Atlantic Rose is for those who love a full-bodied floral scent. It's inspired by the sea breezes of New England and engulfs you in a cloud of lemon oil, rose accord, and white moss.
12. Crystal Pistil Eau de Parfum
Key notes: orange flower water, crystal flower parts, dew-on-petals, paradisone, white musks, pink pepper, jasmine water, ambrette seeds
This is another warmly inviting fragrance that emits a crisp and uplifting scent. "I wanted to make a soft crystalline perfume that highlighted the humid parts inside of a flower. My muse, so to speak, was a memory of orange blossom water liberally sprinkled in the air upon entering a market on the back streets of Fez in Morocco," David says.
13. St. Vetyver Eau de Parfum
Key notes: sour orange, pink pepper, sea grass, cane, clove leaf, toquilla straw, vetyver, breadnut, rhum agricole
This is David's all-time favorite fragrance. "This includes many of my favorite things in perfume. Classic sailor colognes, vetyver, and Caribbean memories."
14. Durga Eau de Parfum
Key notes: green tuberose, melon, chrysanthemum, ylang-ylang, orris butter, orange blossom, tuberose absolute, sambac jasmine, fine musk
Durga earns the title of Kavi's all-time favorite. "This is my go-to tuberose. You can't stop smelling it. It's narcotic, rich, and sexy."
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