I Can't Explain It, But This Summer Scent Smells Like Kat Stratford From 10 Things I Hate About You

If you’re anything like me, fragrance paints a picture. One whiff of a solar perfume takes me to the colorful cafes dotting the coast of Portofino, while a marine scent whisks me onto a sailboat on the open waters of Maine, sea spray misting the air. But when I first spritzed this viral TikTok brand’s just-launched perfume, I was inexplicably reminded of one ’90s rom-com main character, and honestly, it makes me want to wear it even more.

As a 2000s baby, I grew up watching the greats—ahem, Alicia Silverstone in Clueless, Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, Julia Stiles in 10 Things I Hate About You. While I can’t say that a scent has reminded me of any specific movie character until now, there was something so delightfully adventurous about this perfume that made me want to dive back into the 1999 reboot of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew. In an attempt to understand why this fragrance brings up so many memories of a movie that came out before I was born, I pored over the plot—looking back at her angsty, cool-girl style and falling back in love with her heartwarming character arc as bad boy Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger) uses his undeniable charm to crack her hard persona.

And suddenly, it hit me. The moment of breathlessness when Patrick serenades Kat on the school football field. Her tawny blonde waves in their effortless updos and her wickedly quick remarks. Their late-night drives with the electric undercurrents of budding crushes. Once I heard the inspiration behind this mesmerizing scent, it all made perfect sense. Detour, the newest addition to perfume brand Noyz’s illustrious line, is unpredictability, boldness, and adventure in a bottle.

“With Detour, I wanted to replicate the freedom of driving with the windows down with absolutely nowhere to go and nowhere to be,” Jérôme Epinette, the brand’s perfumer, tells Who What Wear.

That sense of carefree vitality is potent in its nostalgic elixir of pink pepper, Spanish mandarin, and jasmine, which finds its footing in a grounding mixture of skin musk, vanilla, and Indian papyrus. Gardenia and tiare blossom dance along the mid notes, blooming as the scent finds its personality on your skin, leaving you with an all-day aroma that feels confident, warm, and vibrant—just like your favorite rom-com main character.

“Some of life’s best moments happen on the detours, and we wanted this scent to capture that energy,” says founder Shaun Neff. “Life doesn’t always go as planned, and that’s okay. Detour is that deep breath you didn’t know you needed.”

Noyz is founded on the idea that fragrance can be a conduit for storytelling, so it’s no surprise that this brand-new scent hailing reckless abandonment in the pursuit of happiness reminds me of this cult classic film. Its bottle is detailed with the image of a vintage car parked in a wooded clearing, a symbol of freedom while its warm, earthy scent evokes a sense of unbridled joy.

“Detour is the floral for people who think they don’t like florals,” says Neff. “We knew there was a gap in our collection for that perfect floral… a new take on floral. Something fresh and just warm enough to feel like sunshine.”

With warmer weather quickly approaching, this fragrance is practically begging to become your signature summer scent. “[It’s] perfect for spring, but also built to last deep into summer, especially for festival season,” says Neff, a nod to upcoming Coachella and Stagecoach festivities.

While you can easily wear Detour alone to smell like modern-day Kat Stratford, fragrance influencer Paul Fino (Paul Reacts) lends his nose to explain a few different ways you can layer your new bottle of Detour.

“I’d recommend layering Noyz’s 12:00 solid fragrance and Detour Eau de Parfum,” Fino tells Who What Wear. “You’re going to get a delicious spun sugar and amber that’s so addictive on top of the fruity floral from Detour. Just thank me later, and make sure to drench yourself!”

I’m certainly stepping into my main character summer with this new scent that I don’t hate, not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all.

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