D.S. & Durga Bottles the Sweetness of Staying Out Late

D.S & Durga’s newest fragrance begins sometime after midnight.

 

Ain’t That Sweet takes its cues from perfumer David Moltz’s memories of early-2000s New York-a city of late nights, new lovers, handwritten notes and the particular optimism of believing something wonderful might still be waiting when you get home.

Here, that something is a slice of dark, malty date cake left beside lilies and a glass of golden milk. The scene becomes scent through myrrh and Sri Lankan cinnamon, melting into date, praline and lily before settling into condensed milk, bourbon vanilla and nutmeg. The sweetness is tempered by spice, resin and lily, giving the fragrance a darker, more composed finish.

It is a gourmand less interested in dessert than in desire; the warmth of being expected, remembered, perhaps missed. While gourmands aren’t necessarily what D.S. & Durga is best known for—the house has built its identity around more conceptual, memory-driven scents—this one carries that same bottled-memory quality, evoking a feeling as much as a fragrance.

Following in the footsteps of Pistachio, the brand’s hero gourmand, it takes the idea somewhere more intimate and emotional, arriving just as we step into cozy season.

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Ain’t That Sweet is available now at D.S & Durga, priced at $225 for 50ml and $300 for 100ml.