Just another (Bentley) Perfume

Bentley’s new super luxurious Bentayga SUV is undoubtedly the crème de la crème of vehicles. The prototype that has been touring auto shows has drawn many a drooling car enthusiasts from across the world. It’s like having Charlize Theron show up at a public event – you can see but can never have.

But now Bentley has come up with something for the poor man who has a bit of cash to spare - US$61 to be exact - and we’re sorry to say that it’s a poor substitute. Just like when celebrities decide to cash in on their popularity by putting their name to a fragrance, Bentley is now leveraging on the fame of the Bentayga by creating a new fragrance supposedly inspired by the SUV, called “Infinite Rush”. Oh-kay.

At US$61 for a 60ml bottle, it isn’t exactly cheap but still isn't anywhere amongst the most expensive of fragrances. Bentley’s official press release, however, describes it like it’s the Holy Grail filled with the elixir of youth. Let us decipher this marketing…excuse the language…bullshit for you, for we know it when we see it.

Firstly, it claims that the fragrance appeals to a man who is “calm and confident” and that “he regularly explores new horizons, captivated by extreme scenarios”, and it heralds the “strong sensuality of this active modern man”. But it goes on to describe the scent as “an explosion of pink peppercorns bursting into”… “sparkling mandarin”?! Sounds more like a candle you'd buy from Bath and Body Works than the scent of a man. Well, whaddaya know, there really is a candle like that.

The middle note is described as an “intriguing elemi, a complex resin fluctuating between lemon, fennel, pepper…” Does anyone else suddenly crave roast chicken?

The base is a “woody symphony” concocted from amber wood, musk and “swathed in tree moss for a hint of mystery”. How about doing the real manly thing and go chop some wood in the forest.

But wait. That’s not all. If you can stomach more hyperbole, there is an entire section on the so-called innovative bottle. It supposedly shares the same design styling as Bentley cars, but except for the winged badge and knurls, we don’t see it.

The crackled effect is achieved by some sort of “high-tech” method – ie. a special layer of varnish on top of a normal varnish that creates the parched land look when fired. There are no two bottles, Bentley boasts, alike; that can also be read as inconsistent outcome due to an uncontrollable part of the production process. Also, we doubt that anyone will be comparing the crack lines on the bottles. 

The press release goes on to say “thanks to the transparent glass, the eau de toilette can be viewed as if through the cracks of the parched ground.” Seeing liquid through a transparent glass. Wow. Never seen that before.

If you want to see how to make something of nothing, then go here for the full press release.

All that being said, we still think the Bentayga is an amazing machine. And if you still want the fragrance (Really? After all that we said), it goes on sale next month.