An independant publication on the cultural life of fragrance.
JUN 4 2026
It’s Grape Summer
BY LAUREN LEXA BROWN
Susan Alexandra’s new glorious fragrance.
In my early twenties, I treated myself to the Susan Alexandra Ash bag. You know the one, with its famed mismatched beaded checkerboard squares. I loved it so much that I brought it on a few special outings, though it spent most of its time lovingly displayed in my bedroom. I eventually sold it on Depop to a woman in Montreal (naturally). Over the years, the popularity of Susan’s designs has absolutely skyrocketed. Everyone who owned an I LOVE NY bead bag inevitably came to covet the Shrimp Cocktail earrings, and before long, desperately needed a Delicatessen charm necklace. These kitschy, technicolored delights demanded an accompanying fragrance, and not only did she deliver on that, but the nose behind their first fragrance release, Glorious, is none other than Marissa Zappas, matriarch of the very same radiance in the world of scent. When I caught wind of this, all of the question marks and feverish turmoil in my soul dissipated. It makes so much sense! A candle version is also available– what a treat. I can imagine Susan going, “Wait, what if people's homes could wear this perfume too?”
The delicate glass roller ball tube is peppered with a purple pearlescent haze– a thoughtful and creative touch to liven up a glass container. Hold it up to the sun, and the pixie dust comes to life. Atop the tube, a glimmering, floppy violet flower charm dangles from the lid, with her signature “S.A” inscribed on the back. You can also remove it gently with pliers and add it to jewelry, but I love it on the bottle. Considering the price point, I think this is a sweet touch– Susan’s pieces are typically not cheap. The sticker label itself has all the whimsicraft glory you could hope for. It’s in a curly-girly Groovy Girl font– I could see this bottle set up front and center at a Libby Lu store. The cool, metal rollerball on the wrist feels delightful in hot summer weather– not to mention, because Glorious is oil-based, it melds with your body's natural oils and cements itself in your skin, inviting the blissful dry-down to loiter and mayhaps come over for a night-cap.
The use of grapes in perfumery dates back to ancient Egypt, where they were often combined with honey, myrrh, and wine for ritualistic purposes. Nowadays, the iconic synthetic grape aroma comes from an ester called synthetic methyl anthranilate, which is used in most grape-flavored candies– and grape Kool-Aid! The saccharine, candied-fruit quality of Glorious sets it apart from other iconic grape fragrances such as Régime des Fleurs Glass Blooms, which features top notes of Riesling grapes and offers more electric acidity. In a manga, Glorious would be the protagonist– a juvenile, ethereal fae, while Glass Blooms would be the edgy villain-turned-confidante.
In a recent clip promoting Glorious, Susan explains that she hoped to come up with a scent that she didn’t already have in her closet– something grapey and otherworldly– specifically, juicy purple grapes covered in dew drops and put in the freezer. This scent does something Marissa Zappas has accomplished before in past projects: finding the perfect harmony between fantasy and reality. She knows when and when not to take it too far– like when a good painter knows when to stop adding little trees or clouds. You don’t have to suspend too much disbelief to enter this reverie. In comparison to other whimsical perfumes on the market today, Glorious is boiled down to four, unfussy notes (grape, candied violet, musk, amber), delivering a glorious breath of fresh air. There is also an effervescent quality, like a bottle of grape Ramune.
Smelling Glorious conjures feelings of safety and delight. Taking a whiff is like being wrapped in a warm, maternal blanket of violet petals and grapes. I see gelatinized grape Kool-Aid marinated in the essence of violet petals, rolled in crystallized sugar. This is a masterclass in how to concoct a simple yet evocative perfume, something Zappas is no stranger to. The bed of amber and musk provides a no-nonsense, velvety landing point once your grape rock-candy sugar-high dissipates. The undertones of jubilant blood orange energize you with a wind of– dare I say a wind of grape ice vape. It’s not mentholic in any way– rather, it’s cool like the crystals you’d see in the corner of a mini golf course, imitating icicles. Perhaps what makes this elixir so charming to me is the simple fact that grapes and violets are both purple. If this were, say, an apple and violet perfume, the color story might not illustrate such a fantastical vignette for my nose. This is not a criticism– this is a nod to genius.
I love it when a fashion brand puts out a fragrance. It allows the most underrated of our senses (smell) to collect data, along with texture, color, shape, and other characteristics of the commodities the artist offers. Glorious is an exceedingly perfect fragrance that breathes another layer of life into the ever-expanding world-building process of Susan Alexandra. It says: This is me, and I am Glorious.
© heart note press 2026
Privacy Policy