It seems like most of my childhood was spent being slathered in suntan lotion or sprayed down by a bug repellent like OFF! or Cutter Evergreen. While the suntan lotion sort of smelled good the mosquito spray did not smell all that good. If I was to describe it in my perfume lingo I would describe OFF! as having a transient citrus quality which clashed with a medicinal accord layered over an oil spill of petroleum. I would actually laugh as over the years the can would trumpet “Now without the harsh odor” and then it would come out of the can and smell as bad, or worse, as the masking agents just couldn’t keep a good insecticide down. I endured this because I hated having bugs crawling on me, biting me, and buzzing in my eyes, ears, and mouth. I thought it better to smell like a chemical spill than to endure the devouring horde.

Mosquito Attack! by Deb Adams

Perfumer Christopher Brosius of CB I Hate Perfume also hates bugs and also wanted something to wear which would keep them away. Because Mr. Brosius is a perfumer and a smart guy he did some research into what essential oils repelled insects and experimented with different blends until he found one which worked. He sold it at his shop in Brooklyn since 2005 but he had been asked by many who had used it to turn it into a perfume and now he has, CB I Hate Perfume #610 Outside.

This is not an actual picture of the author, it is only a re-creation

I had to laugh when I tried Outside for the first time as many of the ingredients he used like lavender and cedar I believe were used as masking agents for OFF! at one time or another. I think, as a result, this triggered a vestigial memory waiting to flinch at a chemical onslaught which never arrived. Outside is exactly as advertised it is a perfume which has the added benefit of keeping the bugs away.

Outside might be the simplest perfume Mr. Brosius has ever made as it really doesn’t have a traditional top, middle, base notes kind of development. Instead it all sort of seems to be present from the beginning to the end. Bergamot and lavender are supported by geranium and cedar with a very minimal application of patchouli and an even more minimal presence of oregano. It makes Outside have a slightly clean herbal smell which goes very well when doing things out doors.

So how about the bug repellent properties? I ran an experiment one day. I walked back into the deeper brush part of our yard and cleared some branches without wearing Outside. Once I started to sweat I was surrounded by a cloud of gnats and midges. I came inside got a cool drink and sprayed myself down with Outside. When I got back to work there was a definite decrease in the amount of insect activity around my head. After a few hours I walked the dogs back in the same buggy part of our yard and the Outside was still keeping them off of me.

Outside lasted on me for an entire day and has minimal sillage, except to the bugs.

Mr. Brosius captured the suntan lotion part of my childhood perfectly with his recreation of the Coppertone accord in CB I Hate Perfume At The Beach 1966. With Outside he has taken the insect repellent part of my childhood and flipped it on its head as he has made something I would have been happy to wear every day.

Disclosure: This review was based on a sample of Outside provided by Parfum1.com

Thanks to Parfum1.com we have five samples of Outside to give away to five winners worldwide. To be eligible leave a comment on what you do to keep the bugs away. The draw will end on June 19, 2013.

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.

-Mark Behnke, Managing Editor