The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Prin Lomros, working from Strangers Parfumerie's Bangkok atelier, designed Burning Ben as an olfactory translation of Ben, the enigmatic character at the center of Lee Chang-dong's film Burning. Rather than crafting a linear fragrance, Lomros chose to embody the character's duality through material selection: the seductive warmth of leather and tobacco balanced against something colder, more distant, embodied in smoky birch and incense. The coffee and cognac notes evoke the late-night gatherings where Ben reveals fragments of himself, while the animalic castoreum and labdanum suggest the human complexity lurking beneath the composed exterior. Working with Strangers Parfumerie's narrative-driven philosophy, Lomros created not a memory of the film but a sensory approximation of its unresolved tension.
The note selection philosophy here prioritizes depth over diffusion. Rather than building a scent that opens bright and gradually darkens, Lomros made an immediate commitment to the fragrance's core identity. Coffee and birch tar create a dark-roasted, smoky foundation while leather and tobacco establish masculine-coded authority. The addition of cognac, cherry, and plum introduces fermented fruit that humanizes the composition without making it accessible. Castoreum and labdanum add the animalic dimension that separates serious niche perfumery from prettier mainstream work.
The evolution
Without a traditional opening phase, Burning Ben plunges directly into its dense heart, eliminating any preamble. The immediate arrival registers as birch tar first, sharp and acrid like a struck match, followed quickly by leather and ground coffee. Dark chocolate and incense emerge within the first minutes, creating a smoky vignette that lingers. As the fragrance settles, the leather-tobacco axis takes fuller command while leather absorbs cherry, cognac, and plum into a fermented-fruity undertone that prevents pure bleakness. Hazelnut that reads as roasted-nutty threads through the mid and late stages alongside beeswax warmth. Saffron and allspice add occasional spicy spikes that cut the darkness. Throughout the entire wear, castoreum and labdanum provide animalic anchor, while patchouli and javanol sustain an earthy-sandalwood base that never fully resolves. The scent does not evolve so much as persist, maintaining its character from first spray to final fade.
Cultural impact
Since its 2018 debut, Burning Ben has become a cult favorite among fans of cinematic‑inspired scents, often cited in LGBTIQ collections for its ambiguous gender and mysterious aura. Wearers note its ability to evoke smoky lounges and midnight conversations, positioning it as a signature piece for those who enjoy bold, story‑rich fragrances.
