Hayley Kiyoko released her long-awaited debut perfume "Hue" on March 4th, a fragrance the singer hopes will give comfort to the wearer like perfume did for her when she was younger.
The official hue website describes the perfume with notes of " watermelon, blood orange and freesia, unfold into an expressive, feminine heart of blooming peony petals, lychee, rose and pink magnolia." The undertones are "creamy cacao blanc" and "skin musk", which surely smells better than it sounds.
While the website describes it with a "feminine heart", the goal for Hayley was to produce a perfume that walked the line between feminine and masculine.
She told Allure, "I've really struggled balancing my femininity and masculinity, and I thought it was important to create a perfume that walked that perfect line. I tried to include a little bit of everything in one perfume, which was very challenging where notes were concerned. But that's just who I am as a person."
In an interview with Refinery29 she admitted that she used to "douse" her body in Elizabeth Arden Green Tea perfume to give her the confidence to "be herself, speak to girls, and be more social." Leading up to the release of her own perfume, she tapped into that old crutch, wearing it around the house to feel "fresh, confident and attractive."
She first announced the fragrance on February 5th, revealing the name, "Hue", and the bottle design, a small but vibrant red bottle that fits in the palm of your hand.
While making a perfume would seem like the perfect pandemic project for any singer, it's actually been two years in the making. She felt so strongly about giving her fans the same kind of protection that her favorite perfume gave her when she was younger, even though she went in a bit over her head at first, she admitted in an interview with Allure. She likened a perfume to a song, each note of the scent matching the beginning middle and end of a song.
Kiyoko first rose to the mainstream radio with her hit single "Curious" in 2018, and later her debut album "Expectations" in March of that same year. She became notable not only because of her song-writing prowess, swell as how open she was about her sexuality, making clear that each love song was about a girl, making her music a place of inclusivity for a formerly barren musical landscape. Just like her music, this perfume is undeniably her as well.
"Hue" currently retails for $65 for a 2.2 fl. oz bottle. Due to the pandemic, it is only available in the U.S.
