PHARRELL WILLIAMS x COMME DES GARCONS
GIRL

2014

PERFUMER
ANTOINE LIE
Christian Astuguevieille

White Pepper
Lavender
Neroli

Violet
Iris
Styrax

Vetiver
Cedarwood
Sandalwood
Patchouli

Have you ever bought a bottle just for the way it looks? GIRL can easily be classified as niche, despite being a ‘celebrity’ fragrance. It’s also very inexpensive nowadays, I picked mine up for €12, which is a no-brainer deal (it was initially released as a +€150 Sephora exclusive, that from my understanding completely flopped).

Yes, it’s a release ‘by’ Pharrell Williams, but it’s done in collaboration with Comme des Garcons and high-profile perfumer Antoine Lie (and Christian Astuguevieile). GIRL wouldn’t feel wrong within the Comme des Garcons’ range, which tends to be highly creative and therefore more niche-orientated. That’s definitely the vibe that GIRL has well.

Don’t let the name fool you, GIRL leans more masculine to my nose without a doubt. The opening is quite nice, bright, sharp and slightly green. It’s very peppery and floral (violet is prominent to me, I don’t get much of the lavender). The iris seems to be there mainly for the dry texture, but it’s not overly powdery. After the opening starts to fade, it’s mainly a woody scent, with very slight green nuances. I like the transition for a while, but in the later drydown it becomes really harsh in my skin (though luckily quite suble by then).

It’s compared to Dior Fahrenheit quite a bit and I get the comparison, but this feels brighter. I’ve actually never smelled Fahrenheit Cologne, but in my mind, this is what a cologne version of Fahrenheit would smell like.

I purchased this before I got into fragrances as a hobby, solely for the KAWS design on the bottle, but to this day it’s easily one of the best deals out there if you like this style of scent. It’s a bit too green and harsh for me to fully enjoy, but you should at least give it a try. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more unique fragrance in this price range, let alone in the celebrity realm.