As hundreds of thousands of Drag Race fans know, Gigi Goode knows how to make a statement. As the runner-up on season 12 of RuPaul's Drag Race, Gigi's immaculate beauty looks and off-the-wall fashion caught the attention of, well, anyone with eyes (or an inkling of good taste). While we have it on good authority that the Drag Race workroom isn't the best-smelling place, we can't help but wonder what fragrances these high fashion-obsessed creatives have on their vanity. Some people use scent and fragrance as a way to assert their individuality, and maybe leave a little memory of their visit behind. Their perfume lingers long after they’ve disappeared and those remaining in the room are left thinking, "Who was that?" But for Gigi, her fragrance isn’t the star of the show—it’s more of a supporting cast member–an accessory that delights her senses. So, what does someone with a show-stopping personality like Gigi spritz on to finish a look? Ahead, Gigi shares the fragrance that makes her feel like a bad bitch, her favorite scent memories, and the grocery store staple she uses to scent her home.
How her relationship to fragrance began:
“[My mother has] always been a Clinique woman, and so her bathroom vanity set always had two fragrances on it. One of them was very strong and grandma-esque, almost like a Chanel No. 5 type of scent, and the other one was much sweeter. I was always drawn to the super sweet scent. That was my first memory with fragrance.
“But the first fragrance I ever bought for myself was Lady Gaga Fame Black. I bought it over and over again for two years and that was the only fragrance I wore. My diva was releasing a fragrance, so I had to get it. It wasn’t even the scent that drew me to it, but it was the fact that it was a black liquid and that it was promoted as a gender-neutral fragrance. I’d never seen that before.”
Her favorite scents:
“I’d say my scent profile is very earthy and spicy, and kind of dark and smokey. The fragrance I wear the most [right now] is Maison Francis Kurkdijan Grand Soir. My friend bought it for me [recently] and it’s already almost empty.
“I’ve been going on a lot of dates recently, and the compliment I get the most is that I smell so good–I’m always wearing this.”
Her go-to fragrance:
“I go through eras of fragrances unintentionally. Only because I run out of fragrances then I move on to another one. Prior to [Maison Francis Kurkdjian Grand Soir] I was wearing Celine Parade forever. For a while, it was Maison Margiela By the Fireplace. I always felt like a bad bitch while wearing it. It made me feel different from all the peony girls and lavender divas.”
Her shower scents:
“I use a lot of Le Labo in the shower—I’m just overflowing with their shower gels and body lotions. [Scent-wise] I tend to stay away from florals altogether. And if I’m out of town and have to stop by a Walgreens or something, I’ll tend to go for a vanilla or cucumber smell.”
Her candles of choice:
“You know how you always go into someone else's face and you can immediately recognize what their scent is, but you never know what yours is? That worries me because I'm always like, ‘What does my house smell like?’ But in terms of candles, I have the Voluspa Moso Bamboo candle and it smells like Christmas. I had it burning all throughout the winter. Then, of course, I’ll get the Trader Joe’s cinnamon branch sticks that you just put in the room.”
Shop Gigi’s Fragrance Wardrobe:
Photographer: Myles Loftin
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