The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
James Barry named this fragrance with three letters, a signature, a seal, something personal. XXX isn't a concept or an occasion. It's the scent of a perfumer making something for himself, with no brief beyond that. Launched in 2021, the fragrance arrived quietly into a small catalogue of narrative-driven compositions. No press release. No campaign. Just a bottle and the people who found it. The scent itself speaks without explanation, its warmth and depth drawing in those who encounter it.
What makes XXX stand apart in the TSVGA lineup is its willingness to be sweet without irony. Most indie compositions lean into restraint or provocation as a defense against being dismissed. Here, the honey and vanilla aren't hedging, they're committed. The oud doesn't complicate the sweetness so much as anchor it, giving the gourmand warmth something to lean against. Butter and beeswax round the middle, giving body where another fragrance might stay airy. It's a full Composition, nothing held back, nothing wasted.
The evolution
The opening registers almost immediately: blood orange and rum arriving together, bright citrus cutting through the sweetness before the honey settles in. The mid-section unfolds with butter and beeswax asserting themselves, a waxy, warm layer that smells like something golden and slow. The oud doesn't announce itself so much as arrive, taking up residence beneath the honey-vanilla sweetness. The structure gradually shifts, sweet but darker, resinous but intimate. The drydown is where this fragrance earns its longevity, oak and ambergris holding steady, vanilla and honey fading last, close to the skin. This is a discontinued fragrance now. If you've found it, you're already part of the story.
Cultural impact
XXX has become a quiet collector's item in the indie fragrance community, the kind of scent people mention when they're trying to explain why indie perfumery matters. It's not safe, but it's honest. The sweet-resinous-gourmand combination offers something different from typical niche offerings, catching attention with its warmth and depth. For those who align with its character, there's nothing quite like it. Discontinued now, the fragrance has taken on a life of its own among those who discovered it, becoming the kind of piece that defines a collection.
