Slightly sweet. Undeniably organic. Alive.
These are the fragrance notes for Demeter Fragrance’s just-released Puppy’s Breath gender-neutral cologne. The East Coast-based perfumer is known for its wildly imaginative scents such as “New Baby,” “Tomato,” “Ambergris,” “Waffles,” “Spacewalk,” “Lobster,” “Holy Water,” “Laundromat,” “Thunderstorm,” the surrealist “This Is Not a Pipe” and even, “Funeral Home.”
Missing my in-office Rover colleagues of rowdy dogs and playful puppies (who have been replaced in the WFH era by my two fussy and dictatorial house cats), I requested a sample of Puppy’s Breath and its companion scent, Kitten Fur, to see if they smelled like the real deal.
First, I offered my WFH colleague Ramona a whiff to see if a representative from the animal kingdom had any notable preference. (NOTE: My cat was not sprayed with either fragrance. I simply set them by her food bowl to see if she happened to be interested. These perfumes are solely intended for use as cologne on humans.)
‘Moners dutifully gave them both a sniff twice, once on her regular patrol to see if any food had magically appeared in her bowl, and then on the way back once she realized the bowl was still empty. She wasn’t noticeably interested in either, but I will say she lingered a fraction of a second longer over Puppy’s Breath.
Then I gave my husband a blind test to see if he could, by smell alone, determine which was which. The one he said was “sweeter” he guessed to be Puppy’s Breath, the “spicier” one he figured was Kitten Fur.
He was totally right!
I found both scents to be non offensive and playful. Puppy’s Breath was indeed sweeter, with notes of brown sugar, clove, and sandalwood. Kitten Fur was almost muskier, with hints of lemongrass, sage, vanilla, and baking spices.
Whether these fragrances actually smell like puppies and kittens depends on your associations and history with pets. A person’s sense of smell can be intensely personal and we know some smells can trigger deeply emotional memories.
What can be said is that these products are pure fun. I mean, who would think of bottling the essence of Grumpy Cat?
Just how they got indifference, disappointment, and judgmental cat vibes into a 1 oz bottle is a story for another time.
You can browse Demeter’s scent library here and purchase Puppy’s Breath or Kitten Fur via the links below.
Find Puppy’s Breath on Amazon
Shop Puppy’s Breath on Demeter
Find Kitten Fur on Amazon
Find Kitten Fur on Demeter