Hayley Kiyoko made waves in 2018 for her debut album, Expectations, which catapulted her into the pop scene not just due to excellent songwriting but also because of her status as an openly queer artist. Following that album up with the I’m Too Sensitive For This Shit EP in 2020, Kiyoko has something else in store for fans this year. Instead of opening 2021 with new music, she’s announced the release of a new perfume called “Hue.” Designed as a gender-inclusive fragrance to double down on her commitment to inclusion in pop culture, Kiyoko remembers how much perfume meant to her when she was growing up and coming to terms with her own sexuality.
“Perfume has been a massive part of my queer experience, Hayley told Vogue. “I remember feeling famous in middle school because girls said that I smelled good. They wouldn’t date me. They didn’t have crushes on me. But they said I smelled good, and that was like a huge thing for me, and I’ve carried that throughout my life. I want to give that power and that armor to my fans, even if they’re sitting at home!”
Working with perfumer Constance Georges-Picot of Cosmo Fragrances with development support by Bart Schmidt, Hayley created a perfume that contains top notes of blood orange, watermelon and freesia, mid-notes of peony, lychee, rose and pink magnolia, and bottom notes of cacao blanc and musk. It’s available March 3 in collaboration with Slate Brands. Check out some photos of the perfume below, along with a look at the packaging design, which centers on Liz Hirsch’s portrait of Hayley that “signifies the variety of hues amongst every individual.”
Pre-order the perfume here.