For Jay 305, smelling good is sanctity. A trail of musks, resinous woods and creamy florals follow him around like an orb of protection. But the real flex, the never-ending quest, is to smell unlike anyone else.
At Scent Bar DTLA , the niche perfume boutique with locations at The Row, Hollywood and New York City, the South-Central rapper is picking up perfumes and putting them to his nose in short progression, leaving a collection of bulbous and angular bottles in his wake. He is looking for something that stimulates him almost reflexively, the way a fragrance that’s truly meant for you will. Jay came in with a list of possible contenders written on his Notes app, which he does often: Parfum de Marly’s Layton, Initio Parfums Privés’ Oud for Greatness , Nasomatto’s Black Afgano.
Beast-mode fragrances with an air of mystery, or spirituality. The kind of perfumes that make an introduction for you. “Scent, it’s like your brand,” Jay says.
Jay has come here at least once a week for the last few years. Always to the DTLA location, usually after going to Smorgasburg L.A.
He’s also a regular at Frédéric Malle on Melrose Place where he stocks up on one of his favorites, Carnal Flower. At Dawah Bookshop in Leimert Park, he blends his own perfume oils, and at Dover Street Market, where everyone knows him by name, he’s most recently been drawn to the Edward Bess perfume collection. At Scent Bar, we’re jumping from the “incense” shelf, to the “cult masculin.
