A Beauty Editor’s Experience With The Nue Co Functional Fragrance

By Kiana Murden

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I consider myself someone who stays calm under pressure. Despite what life throws my way—from arduous travel days to unexpected mishaps—I try my best to maintain a positive disposition. This is not to say I have not been met with my fair share of unpleasant circumstances, but that finding ways to stay grounded has improved my life immensely. My most foolproof solution? Fragrance.

A little over a year ago, I began my fragrance journey. In a quest to find my signature scent, I studied the industry’s most coveted perfumes and colognes. Plus, I’ve written extensively on all things olfactory. I’ve asked luxury retailers to share which perfumes rank as their best-selling blends. I’ve asked Vogue editors to reveal their hero scents and New York’s coolest guys to dish on their go-to colognes. I’ve even spoken to bold-faced individuals who have lent their famous faces to fragrances. All this to say, I’ve learned—and smelled—a lot of scents.

While a spritz of a favorite fragrance does give me a quick pick me up, none of them ground me quite like The Nue Co’s Functional Fragrance. I was first introduced to the scent when I read about Vogue fashion & style writer Christian Allaire’s cologne hunt. “Consider it like a stress ball, only in cologne form,” he wrote. I was instantly intrigued, especially since I was completely unfamiliar with the brand—one that prioritizes inner beauty with a line of fragrances, supplements, and skin-care products targeting full-body wellness.

The Nue Co.

Functional Fragrance

THE NUE CO.

AMAZON

“Back in 2018, we set out to create an instantly acting anti-stress supplement,” explains Flo Glendenning, vice president of product and sustainability at The Nue Co. Capsules, tinctures, and powders wouldn't have the instantaneousness The Nue Co. was after, so the delivery was in question until a chance meeting introduced Glendenning to perfumer, Frank Voelkl. The Nue Co’s eyes were then opened to the powers and influence of fragrance.

“Scientists believe scent contributes to controlling mood, memory, and emotion,” says Glendenning. Utilizing results of a five-year study done at the University of Geneva’s Brain and Behavior Laboratory, which studied the impact of fragrance on your state of mind, The Nue Co. crafted the scent.

“This research formed the basis of the notes selected for our Functional Fragrance.” Clean, woody, spicy is how the scent is described—it’s led by green cardamom, bergamot, and cilantro. These notes oppose myrrh (for a balsamic warmth) and palo santo (for a hint of sweetness) and come together to create this 100% vegan elixir. “We tapped into those families of fragrance aligned to stress relief and relaxation,” she adds. “It’s a product with a functional benefit, designed to help you feel better on a daily basis.”

The concept of aromatherapy is nothing new but The Nue Co. seems to be pushing the possibilities of it. Like beauty, scent is in the eye (or nose) of the beholder; it’s subjective and will be interpreted differently by those who experience it. As for me, traditional “calming” scents like lavender and chamomile do their part to transport my mind to spa-like places, but Functional Fragrance seems to be supercharged. As recommended by the brand, I spritz it on my pulse points—the wrists, temples, and neck. And voilà, I feel more calm in seconds.

I hadn’t anticipated how much I’d rely on this fragrance’s stress-reducing side effects until I was confronted with an incredibly stressful situation—a family emergency that required hours spent in a hospital waiting room alongside my loved ones. In these moments, Functional Fragrance served as an emotional salve to me and my family members—at the height of the nerve-racking hospital visit, whiffs of the scent offered moments of reprieve to us all. (Since, several who experienced the tranquil effects of the perfume have even asked me how they can get their hands on a bottle.) The scent offered a pleasant distraction from the events at hand. I was hooked! Curious how a drop of perfume offered a moment of respite during such a tense period—it reminds me to never doubt the power of fragrance. Stopping to smell the roses is as easy as a spritz.

The Nue Co.

Functional Fragrance

THE NUE CO.

AMAZON

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Functional Fragrance

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