What’s the Right Fragrance for My Bathroom?

Matthew Herman got into the fragrance business when he realized that scent can be a way for people to feel safe expressing and playing with their personal interpretations of gender.

That, and he has a sense of humor. "Let’s call it Boy Smells and put it in a pink box—it literally came out of my mouth in three seconds," he says of naming the brand of candles, fragrances, and, most recently, underwear that he founded with David Kien.

Their fragrances are well-packaged cocktails of traditionally female florals, typically masculine musks, and every accord in between—plus the occasional whiff of weed. With names like Polyamberous and Broken Rosary, the scents are sometimes subtle, sometimes bold, a puzzle to define, and undeniably fun—like gender at its best.

As we have been dreaming about freshening up our bathrooms, we selected some of our favorite powder rooms and bathing spaces recently featured in Dwell and asked Herman to tell us which candle scent he would pair with each of them.

Translucence House By Anne Fougeron

Herman: This room would work with a powdery version of a cannabis scent, like our Cowboy Kush. Light woods and musks would give it a sense of richness without being heavy.

Sydney Addition By Polly Harbison Design

Herman: This space pulls in natural materials but adds polish. We have a candle that mixes mandarin peel and pink peppercorn—but also an artificial violet fragrance. That would be perfect.

Square House By Levenbetts

Herman: The minimalism makes me think of charcoal and lava stone, so I would go with a smoky scent, but a dry smoky scent. Something with hay notes and palo santo would work.

Katowice Apartment By Mistovia

Herman: I love the mix of materials and tension between the objects. We have something called Rhubarb Smoke that would work here. There’s a lot going on, but it doesn’t feel noisy.

Dye House Hotel By Shannon Maldonado and Kite Architects

Herman: This space makes me think of open-air freshness. You want to smell tomato vine, bergamot, fresh herbs, and dirt, but with a sense of light.

Northcote House By Studio Bright

Herman: I really love the dusty powder coating of all the metal fixtures. Something like our Slow Burn candle seems right. It’s based on the Kacey Musgraves song.

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