The Signature Scent My Dad Stole From Me

"When we think of spices we often think of warmth: cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. But there's a whole other side of spices."

Years ago, when my dad got a whiff of this and asked me for the name, I assumed he was fishing for what to gift me for Christmas. The next time I saw him, I spotted an XL 100 ml bottle bursting out of his dopp kit — a gift to himself.

There was something deeply affecting about a sixty-something, terminally optimistic man — who typically gravitated more towards essential oils and incense — quietly splurging on a boutique unisex fragrance.

He surprised me right up until the very end. When he passed after a decade-plus battle with multiple myeloma, I inherited his last rollerball. It sits forever unfinished on my dresser, a self-contained shrine to both finite memories and possible futures, as most fragrances are.

Coriander eu de parfum by D.S. & Durga is described by perfumer and founder D.S. Moltz as a "a big, green, fresh ozonic, cool spice fragrance." It's super unique, great for everyday, and smells different on everyone.