The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Taurus arrived in 2024 as part of BY SHAMS PERFUMES' zodiac collection, a line that translates each celestial sign into an olfactory character. The brand connects to Arab singer Shams, whose name appears in connection with perfumes and energy stones, weaving scent-making into a wider creative conversation. Taurus, assigned to perfumer Margherita Carini, reportedly drew inspiration from her own mother, a closeness that some say runs through the composition. The result is a fragrance that aims for grounded sensuality rather than cosmic abstraction, a scent less about stargazing and more about standing firm. On skin the apricot lifts first, fuzzy and slightly overripe, carrying a cinnamon thread that reads more like dry bark than baking spice.
What sets Taurus apart is the deliberate tension between its floral heart and its base. Egyptian jasmine and ylang-ylang could easily drift into tropical sweetness, a route many feminine launches take without thinking. Carini brings iris through the center to interact with the bloom, adding a powdery counterweight that keeps the sweetness honest. Apricot and cinnamon at the top carry warmth without tipping into gourmand territory, the fruit reading more ripe-skin than syrup.
The evolution
The opening belongs to apricot, sun-warmed and slightly fuzzy, with cinnamon threading through like a slow ember. Ylang-ylang arrives before the fruit finishes, heavy and golden, then iris pulls the whole opening downward into something cooler and more rooted. By the time the fragrance settles the jasmine has taken its place, creamy and warm, riding alongside the powder of iris without ever becoming soapy. The leather surfaces later, not sharp or chemical but soft, something worn close. The animalic notes live in the base, subtle but undeniable, the scent of warm skin. Cedarwood and musk carry the final hours, quiet, close, and unmistakably human. The apricot note never fully disappears either, surfacing now and then like a memory of the opening between the woody drydown notes.
Cultural impact
Taurus occupies an unusual register among zodiac-themed fragrances, pairing an Egyptian jasmine and ylang-ylang heart with a base of leather, animalic notes, cedarwood, and musk. The animalic undertone and leather give it depth beyond the typical floral-leather pairing. The fragrance leans into materials with history, animalic notes, suede-soft leather, cedarwood, rather than novelty accords, which places it in conversation with perfumery traditions that prize skin-clinging warmth over projection.
