The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Be My Cookie arrived in 2024 as BORNTOSTANDOUT's gourmand fragrance built on biscuit and vanilla absolute, two of the most beloved notes in fragrance. But this house doesn't settle for beloved. Perfumer Véronique Nyberg structured the composition around a central tension: the warmth of comfort and the unexpected depth that elevates the sweetness into something more complex. The castoreum is present, adding an animalic dimension that grounds the gourmand elements and gives the fragrance its distinctive character. It's not incidental, it works alongside the sweet notes to create a fragrance that feels both familiar and surprising.
What makes Be My Cookie unusual is its refusal to resolve. Biscuit and castoreum don't naturally coexist. One speaks of warm ovens and clean linens. The other speaks of animal fur, leather, and something close to skin. In this composition, Nyberg let them argue. The raspberry runs interference at the top, lending brightness and fruit to soften the blow, while the bourbon vanilla absolute acts as an olive branch at the close. You smell the burnt cookie first. Then you wonder what made it that way.
The evolution
Raspberry hits first, bright and jammy. It arrives with a sharp sweetness that gradually gives way as the biscuit warmth takes over. That's when the composition shifts. What was sweet becomes something more complicated, gaining depth as the mid-stage develops. The castoreum surfaces in the heart, not as a surprise but as a deliberate presence. It's there, adding an unexpected dimension. The drydown settles into bourbon vanilla absolute and Tonquitone, creating an airier feel that's closer to skin than the opening. The cookie note lingers longest, as expected, but it's joined by creamy vanilla that adds richness to the final hours. The overall effect is one of evolving sweetness, where initial fruitiness deepens into warm gourmand comfort. The interplay between bright raspberry and rich vanilla creates a tension that keeps the fragrance dynamic throughout its wear.
Cultural impact
BORNTOSTANDOUT's catalog is known for animalic, provocative compositions. Be My Cookie participates in that tradition while offering something distinct, a fragrance built on biscuit and vanilla absolute that invites comparison to Bianco Latte. The community discussion around this fragrance centers on its animalic quality. Some wearers appreciate the rawness it brings to the composition. Others find themselves drawn to its vanilla foundation, waiting for that element to emerge more prominently.
The House
BORNTOSTANDOUT®BornToStandOut is a Seoul-based fragrance house founded in 2022 by former investment banker Jun Lim, who left finance to channel his lifelong obsession with scent into a global brand. In just three years, the house has exploded from modest beginnings to over €20 million in annual revenue, with 95% of sales from international markets across 60 countries. Backing from Touch Capital and L'Oréal's venture fund BOLD signals serious industry confidence. The house has secured placements at Harrods, Printemps, and Dover Street Market, making BornToStandOut Korea's first perfume house to achieve such rapid global penetration. This is not a traditional fragrance brand. It operates as a cultural movement rooted in rebellion, self-expression, and a philosophy that perfume should be a statement, not a background noise. The brand invites wearers to reject conformity and embrace individuality through scent.
The Creator
Véronique NybergNyberg works comfortably across citrus, gourmand, ambery, and woody territories. Her chemistry background gives her unusual confidence with unconventional combinations and the technical fluency to execute them.
