The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Belsize Beat arrived in 2019, composed by Jérôme Epinette as part of And Other Stories' fragrance catalog. The brief called for something that could carry the brand's understated character, and Epinette delivered with a citrus-aromatic eau de toilette that sits alongside the brand's richer perfume oils as a lighter, more daily option. The composition leans into clarity rather than density, giving each note room to register without crowding the others. Epinette worked with restraint throughout, building the fragrance so that no single element overpowers the rest. The result is a scent that reads as composed and deliberate, an easy reach for someone who wants a considered daily wear without venturing into heavier territory.
What makes Belsize Beat interesting isn't any single note. It's the conversation between citrus and white leather, two materials that don't traditionally share a sentence. The kumquat, sharper and more bitter than its citrus cousins, holds its ground against the cool weight of the leather base. Meanwhile, apple blossom and violet do the floral heavy lifting, but neither goes powdery or sweet, a balance that Epinette navigates by keeping the heart notes buoyed on water lily's clean lift. The interplay is delicate.
The evolution
On skin, Belsize Beat announces itself immediately. The lemon and cardamom arrive in quick succession, bright and slightly spiced, with an almost edible quality that makes the opening feel alive rather than sharp. Kumquat threads through with a green-bitter edge that keeps the opening from collapsing into anything too simple. In its early phase, this is a citrus-forward composition, fresh, awake, awake, with a sparkle that comes from the cardamom's gentle warmth as much as from the fruit notes themselves. Then the apple blossom and violet step forward, and the fragrance takes a turn. The sharpness softens without disappearing entirely. Water lily brings a watery, almost transparent quality to the heart, and the violet adds a dusky, powder-adjacent sweetness that you'd miss if it weren't there. As time passes, the citrus recedes, and what's left feels warmer, greener, more introspective.
Cultural impact
Belsize Beat sits within And Other Stories' broader fragrance portfolio as a lighter, more daily option alongside the brand's perfume oils. It offers a citrus-aromatic character that contrasts with the richer compositions elsewhere in the line, giving the catalog a range of moods and intensities. The eau de toilette format positions it as something accessible and repeatable, suited to frequent wear rather than reserved for special occasions. Within the brand's lineup, it represents a particular kind of clarity, a fragrance that leans into brightness and transparency rather than depth and weight.
