The name already tells you something. BORNTOSTANDOUT Drunk Lovers is a warm, spicy and boozy niche fragrance built around brandy. But it does not begin as a heavy or overly sweet scent. The opening is surprisingly bright and energetic.
Released in 2023 and created by perfumer Hamid Merati-Kashani, Drunk Lovers moves from fresh citrus into a boozy, spicy heart before settling into a warmer woody base.
What Does Drunk Lovers Smell Like?
The opening combines bergamot, lemon and grapefruit with red berries and aromatic touches. It gives the first few minutes a bright, lively character that contrasts with what comes next.
The personality of Drunk Lovers becomes much clearer in the heart.
Brandy takes centre stage, surrounded by ginger, pepper, sage and cypress. The result is warm and spicy without turning into a simple sweet alcoholic fragrance.
As it dries down, Drunk Lovers becomes softer and darker. Vanilla, amber, sandalwood and benzoin bring warmth, while patchouli, vetiver, cedar and musk give the base more depth. Cardamom and cinnamon keep a subtle spicy character running through the drydown.
Drunk Lovers Fragrance Notes
Top notes: Citronella, bergamot, lemon, Juniperus mexicana, grapefruit, red berries
Heart notes: Brandy, pepper, ginger, sage, cypress
Base notes: Amber, Virginia cedar, sandalwood, vanilla, benzoin, patchouli, vetiver, cardamom, cinnamon, musk
When Should You Wear Drunk Lovers?
Drunk Lovers feels particularly natural in the evening and during cooler weather. The combination of brandy, warm spices, vanilla and woods makes it an easy fragrance to associate with autumn and winter.
The bright opening keeps it from feeling completely heavy, though. There is enough freshness in the beginning to balance the warmer character underneath.
We would reach for this more readily for dinner, drinks or a late evening than as a quiet everyday office fragrance.
Who Is Drunk Lovers For?
Drunk Lovers is worth exploring if you enjoy warm, spicy and slightly boozy niche fragrances.
What makes it interesting is the contrast. It begins bright and energetic, becomes warmer and more alcoholic through the heart, then settles into something softer, spicier and woodier.
If brandy, warm spices and vanilla-heavy drydowns are not usually your thing, Drunk Lovers may not be the safest choice.
Is Drunk Lovers a Safe Blind Buy?
There is enough happening in Drunk Lovers that we would rather experience it properly on skin before committing to a full bottle.
A 5 ml decant gives you enough fragrance to see how it develops across several wears. A 10 ml decant makes sense if you already enjoy Drunk Lovers but do not need a full bottle.
Discover BORNTOSTANDOUT Drunk Lovers at WHIFF.
Drunk Lovers is ultimately a fragrance of contrasts. Bright citrus, boozy brandy, warm spices and a smooth woody base make it considerably more interesting than its provocative name might initially suggest.
It does not try to be quiet. That is rather the point.