Genre Parfums is one of those American fragrance houses that I think deserves more attention than it gets outside of the fragrance community. Genre is based out of Louisiana and has built a pretty loyal following over the years. They do inspirations, hybrids, and original fragrances, and that distinction is important to me. I don’t have a problem with clones—I own and have owned plenty of them—but I always think we should acknowledge the fragrance that inspired them. Give the original its credit. What separates Genre from a lot of clone houses for me is that they don’t feel like they’re simply trying to pump out the newest popular fragrance as cheaply and quickly as possible. There seems to be more of an enthusiast mentality behind the brand. Their inspirations can be very good, but some of the most interesting stuff Genre does is when they start playing around with an idea rather than simply reproducing it. Their hybrids and original compositions give the house more personality than your typical clone operation. And that’s really where my opinion of clone houses has changed over the years. I’ve owned hundreds of clones and inexpensive fragrances. At one point I was constantly chasing the next bargain and trying to see how close something could get to a $200, $300 or $400 fragrance for a fraction of the money. Eventually you realize that “close” isn’t always the same thing as good perfumery. Genre is one of the American houses that I think sits in a better position than that. You’re still getting the fun of discovering interpretations of expensive niche and designer fragrances without spending niche money, but you’re also dealing with a house that has developed its own community and identity. That doesn’t mean every Genre is going to replace the original. For me, a clone should be judged as a clone. If it’s inspired by another fragrance, I want to know how well it captures the idea, how good the materials smell, how it performs, and whether Genre brought anything interesting to the table. I’m not going to pretend owning the inspiration means I own the original fragrance. They’re two different things.

This one surprised me. Sunkissed Sands is one of those fragrances that reminds me that you don’t have to spend $300–$400 to get something that smells really good and feels put together. Right from the opening I get this bright, juicy tropical freshness. The mango is definitely there, mixed with grapefruit and bergamot, but it doesn’t come across like some overly sweet tropical fruit cocktail. There’s enough citrus and freshness around it to keep everything bright and wearable. As it develops, the iris, jasmine and pink pepper smooth everything out and give it a little more sophistication. Then you get amber, vetiver and agarwood underneath it. That woody base is important because it gives Sunkissed Sands some backbone and keeps it from becoming just another fruity summer fragrance. This is exactly the type of scent I like in hot weather—fresh and tropical, but with enough depth that it doesn’t smell thin or cheap. And that brings me to the biggest thing here: value. Sphinx lists the 100 ml at $139.99, which in today’s fragrance world is relatively inexpensive, especially considering how many niche fragrances are pushing $250, $300 and well beyond that. And when they run a sale close to 100.00. Performance is also very good for this style of fragrance. It pushes off my skin nicely and leaves a noticeable scent trail without becoming obnoxious. For a warm-weather fragrance, that’s exactly what I want. Scent: 9/10 Projection: 8/10 Sillage: 8/10 Value: 9.5/10 This is easily one of the better Sphinx fragrances I’ve smelled and one I think deserves more attention. Highly rated by me, relatively inexpensive, easy to wear, and it smells considerably more expensive than what you’re paying. Also highly rated on Parfumo and Fragrantica!!! Sometimes we get so caught up chasing expensive niche bottles that we forget a fragrance doesn’t have to cost $350 to be excellent. Sunkissed Sands is proof of that.