The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Want Pink Ginger arrived in 2016 as the first flanker to DSQUARED²'s original Want fragrance, which launched the year before. The original Want had established itself as a gourmet-vanilla composition with modern design that drew attention. Want Pink Ginger was positioned as a new concentration, dialing up the spice and energy while keeping that warm vanilla soul intact. Perfumer Aurélien Guichard returned for the flanker, building the composition around pink ginger as the signature note. The opening fuse combines ginger, pink pepper, mandarin, and mangosteen, a quartet that hits energetic and sparkling before the florals arrive. The heart develops heliotrope, neroli, and Damask rose, adding softness.
What makes this composition interesting is the way the ginger doesn't disappear, it transforms. In the opening, pink ginger reads as sharp, almost effervescent, like biting into candied ginger. As the fragrance evolves, that same ginger note softens into something quieter, a warmth that runs beneath the vanilla rather than competing with it. The mangosteen adds a tropical dimension that reads as a clean fruity note that bridges the citrus and the florals, creating a smooth transition into the heart notes.
The evolution
The opening arrives fast, ginger, pink pepper, mandarin, and a tropical hint from the mangosteen that can read as almost candied depending on your skin. The lemon keeps it sharp for the first thirty minutes. Then the hand-off begins: the citrus fades, heliotrope and neroli take over, and the fragrance shifts from energetic to soft. The Damask rose appears quietly, adding a floral dimension that feels powdery rather than green. This heart phase lasts a few hours, comfortable and warm. The drydown is where Want Pink Ginger earns its reputation. The vanilla absolute and Madagascar vanilla deepen into something close and intimate, amberwood underneath keeps it grounded without adding smoke or heaviness. The sillage is moderate throughout. The fragrance doesn't project aggressively after the opening, maintaining its presence without overwhelming the space around you.
Cultural impact
The ginger-vanilla contrast is what people talk about. The bright, sparkling opening either lands or it doesn't, but the deep vanilla drydown wins people over. Community reviews describe it as almost hypnotic, simple but eye catching, with a personality that contrasts the original Want's pure gourmand approach. The advertising campaign, shot by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin with model Rianne ten Haken, positioned the fragrance as something bold and feminine.
