Heidi Norton
David Bowie was an artist who embodied many personas, from Ziggy Stardust to the Thin White Duke. But what about his scent?
According to his official website, the late musician's signature scent was Minotaure by Paloma Picasso, an oriental, woody fragrance. He also liked anything by Guerlain, a French perfume house.
Arcade Fire musician Will Butler described Bowie as the best-smelling human I ever met. Butler recalled:
> You walk into a room, and you're like, 'Something's different. I'm in a different dimension. It smells so good in here!' [And then you realize] 'Oh, David Bowie's here.'
Butler's description of Bowie's scent was more complex:
> It smelled like if an ancient pine forest had a massive forest fire -- but like, a month ago. So you get the new growth of the grass and the moisture, but still there's an undercurrent of pain. But also of smoke, so kind of like marshmallows...? It's powerful.
Other colognes Bowie wore include Dior, Creed Silver Mountain Water, Floris, and Thierry Mugler A*Men.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Description | "Something's different. I'm in a different dimension. It smells so good in here!... Oh, David Bowie's here." "It smelled like if an ancient pine forest had a massive forest fire -- but like, a month ago. So you get the new growth of the grass and the moisture, but still there's an undercurrent of pain. But also of smoke, so kind of like marshmallows...? It's powerful." |
| Favourite fragrance | Minotaure by Paloma Picasso |
| Other fragrances | Anything by Guerlain, Creed Silver Mountain Water, Floris, Diorissimo, Miss Dior, Thierry Mugler A*Men |
What You'll Learn
David Bowie's signature scent
In 2005, musician Owen Pallett posted on Facebook that Bowie wore Creed Silver Mountain Water cologne, which Pallett described as "too ostentatious for anyone but Bowie to ever get away with".
Other sources suggest he wore Floris of London, Chanel Sycomore, Diorissimo, Miss Dior, and Thierry Mugler's A*Men.
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Other fragrances he wore
In addition to Creed Silver Mountain Water, David Bowie was known to wear a variety of other fragrances.
According to his official website, his signature scent was Minotaure by Paloma Picasso, which he described as "hard to find, so he stocks up". He also liked anything by Guerlain.
Other fragrances that Bowie wore include Floris of London, Diorissimo, Miss Dior, and Thierry Mugler's A*Men.
Bowie was also a smoker, so it's likely that cigarettes also contributed to his scent.
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What others thought he smelled like
David Bowie was described by musician Will Butler as "the best-smelling human I ever met". Butler recounted his experience of meeting Bowie:
> You walk into a room, and you're like, “Something's different. I'm in a different dimension. It smells so good in here!” [And then you realize] “Oh, David Bowie's here." It smelled like if an ancient pine forest had a massive forest fire -- but like, a month ago. So you get the new growth of the grass and the moisture, but still there's an undercurrent of pain. But also of smoke, so kind of like marshmallows...? It's powerful.
While Butler's description is vivid, others have offered their own impressions of what Bowie smelled like. One person who met Bowie in 1993 recalled that he "was very perfumed" and, when asked, Bowie told them that he was wearing Thierry Mugler's A*Men. Another person who met Bowie recalled that he "smelled heavily of tobacco".
In addition to these first-hand accounts, speculation about what Bowie might have smelled like has been fuelled by reports of his favourite fragrances. According to his official website, Bowie's signature scent was Minotaure by Paloma Picasso, which he stocked up on because it was hard to find. He also liked anything by Guerlain. Creed's Silver Mountain Water is another fragrance that Bowie was known to wear, and he was photographed with a bottle of Dior backstage in 1973.
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What he smelled like to others
According to several sources, David Bowie was described as smelling wonderful, with one person saying he was "the best-smelling human I ever met".
In a conversation with BBC 6 Music's Lauren Laverne, musician Will Butler of Arcade Fire described Bowie's scent as:
> " [You walk into a room, and you're like,] 'Something's different. I'm in a different dimension. It smells so good in here!' [And then you realize] 'Oh, David Bowie's here.'"
Butler likened the smell to "an ancient pine forest [that] had a massive forest fire — but like, a month ago. So you get the new growth of the grass and the moisture, but still there's an undercurrent of pain. But also of smoke, so kind of like marshmallows...? It's powerful."
According to Owen Pallett, a member of Arcade Fire, Bowie wore Creed Silver Mountain Water cologne during a dinner in 2005. However, according to his official website, his signature scent was Minotaure by Paloma Picasso, which he stocked up on as it was hard to find. He also liked anything by Guerlain.
Other sources claim that Bowie wore Floris of London, Diorissimo, Miss Dior, and Thierry Mugler's A*Men.
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His favourite fragrance
David Bowie was described by Arcade Fire musician Will Butler as "the best-smelling human I ever met".
In 2005, musician Owen Pallett posted on Facebook that Bowie wore Creed Silver Mountain Water cologne, which Pallett described as "too ostentatious for anyone but Bowie to ever get away with".
However, according to his official website, Bowie's favourite fragrance was Minotaure by Paloma Picasso, which he said was "hard to find, so he stocks up". He also liked anything by Guerlain.
Other sources claim that Bowie wore Floris of London, Dior Homme Intense, Tom Ford Grey Vetiver, and Thierry Mugler's A*Men.
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Frequently asked questions
David Bowie's signature scent was Minotaure by Paloma Picasso, an oriental, woody fragrance. He also liked anything by Guerlain.
Yes, David Bowie was a chain smoker and was often described as smelling like cigarettes.
David Bowie also wore Creed Silver Mountain Water, Floris of London, Diorissimo, Miss Dior, and Thierry Mugler A*Men.
David Bowie was described by Will Butler of Arcade Fire as smelling like "an ancient pine forest that had a massive forest fire, but like a month ago. So you get the new growth of the grass and the moisture, but still, there's an undercurrent of pain. But also of smoke, so kind of like marshmallows."
David Bowie liked the perfume brand Guerlain.
