A new year should begin with a burst of optimistic vigor. Did 2025 not get the memo? The first few weeks of January have been enough to drive you to drink. But wait, have you heard that alcohol kills you? With our hands soundly swatted away from those dirty martinis that sustained us during the pandemic, it might be time to assess a different menu of mood modulators, chiefly those that hazard no collateral damage. Like perfume. Sana Jardin’s new perfume came out on January 15 to thousands of people on a wait list. (It didn’t hurt that the brand’s Berber Blonde is an established fashion-and-beauty-editor favorite.)
What is the new perfume?
Air of Aquarius, a new unisex scent from Sana Jardin, is calibrated to ease our bumpy entry into 2025. Created by perfumer Carlos Benaïm, the perfumer behind Polo and Flowerbomb, the fragrance opens with a burst of invigorating, zesty citrus that gradually gives way to soothing notes of lavender, rosemary, neroli, and jasmine. It settles into a velvety musk that quietly hums on your skin for hours.
What does it smell like, according to three people at a dinner party at Daphne’s in Bed-Stuy:
“At first, it smelled very spicy and lemony,” said one friend at a dinner party.
“It reminds me of baby skin.”
“I’m getting a lot of orange blossom,” said another friend. “I feel like I’m at a dinner party in Morocco in the late 1960s.”
“I like that because it feels clean,” said another friend.
Is the name a bit woo-woo?
Yes, it is. The fragrance, says Sana Jardin founder Amy Christiansen, was “inspired by the celestial symphony of Pluto’s return to Aquarius.” (Aquarian energy, according to astrologers, is transformative and revolutionary; qualities that will be amplified by the dwarf planet’s sojourn in the sign.) Every ingredient, Christiansen says, was chosen to “uplift and inspire, reflecting new beginnings.” What we all need.
Will this perfume make me feel calm?
Even with its high concentration of lavender and jasmine, said to tank levels of the stress hormone cortisol, it’s a bit of a stretch to imply that Air of Aquarius will make you levitate with positivity. But it can at least help quell sensations of rising panic. A perfume isn’t going to make the news cycle go away, but the simple act of spraying on a gorgeous scent can make everything more … well, bearable. Air of Aquarius has another feel-good factor, too: Christiansen founded Sana Jardin with a philanthropic mission to support the livelihood of female flower harvesters in Morocco, as well as a dedication to sustainable and transparent sourcing. In 2025, we will take the wins where we can get them.
