What do music and cologne have in common? Apparently a lot, according to Snif co-founder Bryan Edwards. The company, known for its accessible, fine fragrances, launched a new, male-centric sub-brand called Notewrks last week. It’s the brand’s biggest extension yet, and one primarily focused on the male consumer, specializing in masculine-leaning, high-quality cologne all under $100.
Launching with three scents — Clean Getaway, Sunny is a Feeling and Room for Dessert — the brand’s fragrances are built like a playlist and are aligned with a specific music genre to help get you into the mood. (You can even scan a QR code on the box and listen to a Spotify playlist for each scent.)
“Fragrance and music can both trigger emotional responses,” Edwards tells InsideHook. “They have the ability to calm us, make us feel lighter or tap into a memory. We wanted to create something different from traditional colognes and felt the universal nature of music was a great entry point for understanding what the scent might smell like and how it can enhance your mood.”
Notably, the line is separate from Edwards’ already established fragrance brand, Snif, a decision he says he was warned against.
“When we decided to create a new line of colognes, we knew it deserved a special look and feel that felt differentiated from core Snif,” he explains. “We were always told not to do this, but we went for it anyway. Developing something totally new gave us the freedom to push boundaries in every way, while continuing to explore fresh ways of engaging with fragrance and our community. It also opened us up to a new audience — people who might not have connected with the style or DNA of Snif’s core line.”
Notewrks’ 30ML bottles are similar to its sister brand’s compact, square containers with convenient magnetic caps (a detail that makes traveling with Snif perfumes a breeze), but with a distinct contemporary design — primary colors, grooved caps and bold labels — very unlike traditional cologne bottles that often use dark colors and masculine fonts.
The brand’s marketing is also quite different from classic cologne ads. You know, the ones where a jacked, shirtless model is riding bareback on a horse or a famous actor is playing guitar in the middle of the desert with wolves for some reason. What are they communicating to consumers about their fragrances? We’re not entirely sure. It seems like an attempt to jumble every stereotypical trope about masculinity in one weirdly sexual advert, potentially leaving men feeling even more confused when trying to choose a cologne that suits them.
“We found a lot of traditional marketing to men to be out of touch and not representative of the modern person,” adds Edwards. “Our goal is to make scents that are approachable and unique. We want men to feel empowered to experiment without pressure and to have fun with fragrance in a way that’s inclusive and accessible.”
A significant part of that accessibility is pricing.
“From the start, we aimed to keep Notewrks under $100 to fit the ‘masstige’ bill, offering high-quality ingredients and thoughtful, creative formulations without the luxury markup,” he explains. “The price we landed on reflects our commitment to making premium scents that anyone can feel good about trying.”
So if you’re feeling a bit put off by traditional cologne advertisements or bored with the long-established scents marketed to men (smoke, tobacco, oud), perhaps it’s time for a refresh. With the aid of Edwards, we’ll walk you through each of the new scents from Notewrks, below.
Just remember, when it comes to finding your new favorite fragrance, experimentation is key.
“You really need to live with the scent for a while to see how it feels for you on a day-to-day basis,” says Edwards. “We created the Setlist Sample Set for that very reason. You get a small bottle of each of the scents, and can try them out and see which one you really click with.”
For a Fresh Skin Scent: Clean Getaway
The Vibe: Driving with the windows down
Key Notes: Apple, Laundry Accord, Amber
Edwards’s Notes: “It’s crisp from the laundry accord, but has this subtle rice note that keeps it really close to skin. It smells like wearing a fresh white t-shirt, and you get this really nice dry-down when the tartness of the apple mixes with the musky base. It’s for the men who love the way they smell when they put on fresh-from-the-dryer clothes and want to hold on to that feeling a little longer.”
For a Modern Take on a Fougere: Sunny is a Feeling
The Vibe: A never-ending, sun-kissed day
Key Notes: Mandarin, Tonka, Cedarwood
Edwards’s Notes: “Sunny is a Feeling started in the traditional fougere space but evolved into this really bright citrus scent. It has mandarin and bergamot, and feels like you’re in a citrus grove at golden hour. We took the notes that you typically find in more feminine-leaning scents and remixed them a bit to fit a more classic cologne. It’s easy to wear and really energizing.”
For a Masculine Take on a Gourmand: Room for Dessert
The Vibe: A late-night date night that you don’t want to end
Key Notes: crème brûlée accord, vanilla, cedar
Edwards’s Notes: “This is our take on a masculine gourmand, a gour-men if you will. It’s smooth, intimate and sultry. There’s a part of it that smells like strawberry, creme brulee and vanilla and you’ll get those dessert-like top notes, but it’s special because of the ambrette and cedarwood at the base. It’s the gourmand for the guy who loves his girlfriend’s vanilla perfume but is maybe a little too nervous to buy it for himself.”
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