Patric Rhys is a fragrance journalist and copywriter in NYC, by way of Pittsburgh. The odd artist, who is also a science nerd, after getting his Creative Writing degree, found out that you can actually tell stories for your nose without words, and it involves chemistry, too. He lost his mind, and thirteen years later, he’s never looked back. Writing for Fragrantica since 2020, he specializes in snark, fragrance history, perfume creation stories, and the science behind it all.

IG: rhysatleast
Website: patricrhys.com
Fragrantica: https://www.fragrantica.com/news/author/Patric-Rhys/

"Pick a favorite Sarah Baker scent? That’s like asking which is cuter, a puppy or a baby? Which do you like better, water or air? Each makes life so much better. Some actually give you life.

This little indie brand that could, that became the viral indie brand that did, is punctuated with so many scented moments and stories that the line itself creates a soundtrack. Some songs I’m playing on repeat more than others, depending on when you catch me.

But, to me, one of the most stunning examples of this house doing what it does best - change your perception of what you thought you knew, and make a whole new world out of the upside-down - is Pastel Rumours.

Anyone who knows me would be shocked to hear me say this, as I’m constantly, angrily muttering about gourmands, and oh yes, Pastel Rumours is sweet... and then some. But it proves that a thoughtful gourmand can actually be bold, smart, and skillfully composed, even unapologetic. It certainly incites some strong reactions, but that’s just another reason to love it.

Candied and caramelized peach swirls in a bath of custardy lactones dotted with childhood fruit flavorings. Some sniffers get the intended fruit cereal floating in milk, some say notes of gum, some say creamy Nerds, but however your nose registers all that’s going on, you’re awash in simpler times, where the biggest danger was the streetlights coming on before you got home.

Behind any other bottle, this would all be way too much, but here, it’s dosed in surgical precision despite the whole piece being a beast. It’s full of dualities like this. Chris Maurice seems to have found ways to tuck notes and accords into hidden corners. They don’t brush up against each other, are given room to shine, but still contribute to a whole that’s way more than the sum of its parts. Not an easy feat with these raucous and saccharine notes.

There’s even an adult elegance of orris just shimmering underneath the waterfall of indulgent fruit candy and sugared lactones. There’s so much going on, so effortlessly.

It’s crazy that I love this. It’s crazy how much I love it. I guess if I’m going to mumble about gourmands, but then finally wear one, it better be big. Of course, only Sarah Baker could make a convert out of this incense and labdanum-drenched emo boy. 

One of my favorite snacks as a kid was peaches in milk. Canned peaches. They’d spill out of the can and plop into the bowl, trailed by a thin syrup drizzle. I’d drop the peach slices directly into milk as if I were pouring a box of cereal and eat it just as such, spoon and all. The taste and smell of the leftover milk got my little six-year-old senses positively high.

I’ve taken to sometimes spraying myself with Pastel Rumours before bed. The potent Extrait tangles itself in my sheets all night, and when I wake up, I feel like I’ve woken up in my childhood cereal bowl. I actually smile when the alarm goes off now."

Explore Pastel Rumours.