Elon Musk appears to be determined to become a modern-day Renaissance figure in the 21st century.
The proprietor of X, formerly recognized as Twitter; and the creator of multiple enterprises such as Tesla, SpaceX, and The Boring Company; he holds the title of the wealthiest individual in the world.
In October of last year, he included “fragrance vendor” on his roster as he started marketing a fragrance named “Charred Tresses” globally.
The Boring Company is partnering with a perfumer to create a potion that can recreate the smell of a burnt hair candle on the dinner table without actually burning anything. This venture suggests that Elon Musk’s tunnel-building and infrastructure projects are not only hard work, but also have a repugnant desire for the scent. The Boring Company initially listed the unisex fragrance for $99,420, but it has now been relisted on eBay for a discounted price of $86.69. Musk announced on Twitter that all 30,000 bottles of the perfume have been purchased within days of its launch.
Does that technically classify it as a triumph? Furthermore, if it genuinely emits an unpleasant odor, as the title suggests, is it meant to have a foul smell? Is it intended to have a pleasant fragrance? Consequently, we found ourselves with numerous inquiries.
While in transit, a portion of the fragrance seeped out with certain reservations regarding its quality, although the package eventually arrived in late July. On the day it was introduced, one of our editors purchased a container of Singed Tresses, prompting Insider to personally assess the aroma.
The perfume comes in a black velvety box, with the word “SINGED” printed at the bottom in garish red.
In order to maintain the objectivity of our study, we conducted a blind scent test by asking members of Insider’s newsroom to reveal their thoughts and give us a whiff of a perfume sprayed on paper strips.
Madeline Renbarger, a reporter on the venture capital and startups team, mentioned that she sensed floral notes at the same time. She also stated, “It smells almost like something floral or cigarettes, where I’m really reminded of the smoky point where it’s like cigarettes.” Several staffers also mentioned that the scent reminded them of cigarettes.
The individuals in the workplace who indulge in smoking supported the cigarette-forward aroma of Burnt Hair. Nathan McAlone, the deputy media editor, detected a hint of “stale cigarettes.”
Initially, Darius Rafieyan, another journalist on the startups and venture capital team, couldn’t smell anything on the paper.
He inquired, “Hold on, is there an odor present?” However, after taking another sniff, he reconsidered. “I’m unsure, perhaps there is. It has the scent of smoldering cardboard, reminiscent of when a pizza box is placed in a bonfire.”
Rafieyan was the only Insider staffer who attempted to analyze the straight scent from the source by directly sniffing the bottle he concluded smelled better than most perfumes, actually smelling like burnt hair.
He stated, “It’s not excessively alcohol-dominated, I’m not particularly fond of the majority of colognes or perfumes due to their strong alcohol scent, I dislike it, but I prefer it significantly more than most perfumes.” As for others, the fragrance evoked a variety of distinct situations. We received descriptions ranging from “elderly woman in a church” and “body odor” to “vibes reminiscent of a wildfire in Colorado.”
Aviation reporter Taylor Rains mentioned, “Similar to my grandfather who has recently returned from the poker establishment following a night out,” while also noting, “The bottle is truly adorable, which is a positive aspect.”
Another editor mentioned that the aroma epitomized “regret typically experienced by individuals in their twenties” and “poor choices.”
Senior tech correspondent Meghan Morris stated that she quickly poured it down the drain, describing the fragrance as reminiscent of a wine she had once tasted which had “hints of equine mane” within it.
There were a few proponents
Although the odor was not appealing to the majority, a small group of employees enjoyed it.
Maddie Berg, a senior editor in the trending news and tech desk, smiled after sniffing the paper. “It smells good,” she said, like someone who had been working on a farm and sitting around a campfire in a country like man.
Another editor depicted the fragrance as “fresh” and “cottony” and added that she detected hints of “sandalwood.”
Some individuals believed it was accurate
The promise of Hair Burnt stayed true, as it was determined whether our unscientific premise of conjuring repugnant feelings to fulfill the desire of staffers was achieved.
