MARISSA ZAPPAS PERFUME

Marissa Zappas is an independent New York-based perfumer whose work approaches perfume with a poet's sensibility. She came to perfumery from a background in anthropology, with a master's project on the relationship between fragrance, death and funereal ritual. That depth of context shapes the collection: each composition is built as a small narrative essay rather than a single olfactive impression. Her perfumes carry a distinctive blend of vintage Hollywood glamour, gothic-romantic atmosphere, and unexpected material choices, including notes you rarely find elsewhere in niche perfumery, such as latex balloons, Orange Ring Pop candy, gunpowder, tamarind and the literal scent of dust and stillness. The collection rewards close attention and a taste for perfume as storytelling.

The collection draws on an unusually wide range of source material. Maggie the Cat is Alive! I'm Alive! is a portrait of Elizabeth Taylor's role in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Flaming Creature is a collaboration with poet M. Elizabeth Scott inspired by Jack Smith's 1963 underground film. Annabel's Birthday Cake is named for astrologer Annabel Gat. Petrichor captures the scent of rain on dry earth. Dream Sequence takes its inspiration from the surrealist dream sequence in the 1955 film of Oklahoma!. Ching Shih, Queen Nzinga and Imperia La Divina form a trio of olfactive biographies of remarkable historical women — a Chinese pirate queen, an African warrior queen, and a Roman courtesan. The Sun Card draws on the Major Arcana tarot card. The most recent addition, Carnival of Souls, is inspired by the 1962 cult horror film of the same name. The collection moves through cinema, literature, history, tarot and weather.

Both, depending on the perfume. Annabel's Birthday Cake, Dream Sequence and Petrichor sit on the softer, more dreamy end of the spectrum, with creamy or atmospheric registers that wear closer to skin. Maggie the Cat is Alive! I'm Alive!, Flaming Creature, Ching Shih and Queen Nzinga are bolder, more expressive compositions that establish distinct moods on contact. The Sun Card, Imperia La Divina and Carnival of Souls sit somewhere between. The collection is unified by Marissa's eccentric and poetic sensibility rather than by a fixed register of strength.

Annabel's Birthday Cake is the most reliable starting point in the collection, with its baroque gourmand register, tuberose frosting and unexpectedly clever latex balloon accord giving it a clear and immediate personality. It's the perfume that introduces buyers to Marissa's particular gift for taking a recognisable starting point — in this case, a literal birthday cake — and shaping it into something playful, sensual and unconventional. From there, the rest of the collection's range opens up.

Yes. Marissa builds each composition with thoughtful base notes designed to prolong and develop the heart and top, so the perfumes tend to evolve in distinct phases over hours of wear. Maggie the Cat shifts from a champagne-and-peach opening into a musky boudoir warmth. Carnival of Souls moves from sweetly sinister into haunted femininity. Petrichor unfolds from the moment of rain on dry earth into a settled, mossy, mineralised drydown. Wearing these perfumes properly means giving them time on skin to do what they were composed to do.

Often both. Marissa's background in anthropology and her interest in funereal ritual, design and ceremony shape much of her work. The collection draws explicitly on cinema (Maggie the Cat, Flaming Creature, Dream Sequence, Carnival of Souls), historical biography (Ching Shih, Queen Nzinga, Imperia La Divina), tarot (The Sun Card) and natural phenomena (Petrichor). What unifies these inspirations is Marissa's commitment to using perfume as a poetic and anthropological medium, treating each composition as a small piece of cultural research rather than a commercial product brief.

Wearers drawn to perfume as storytelling and cultural reference, those who appreciate vintage Hollywood, literary or cinematic references, and those who want their fragrance to feel like a small private library of moods rather than a single signature scent. The collection particularly suits anyone who loves perfumes with a clear point of view and is happy to wear something that takes itself seriously without losing its sense of joy and play.

The collection holds a real spectrum of occasion. Annabel's Birthday Cake, Dream Sequence and Petrichor are easy to integrate into everyday rotation, with their softer, more atmospheric registers. The Sun Card wears beautifully as a daytime signature. Maggie the Cat, Flaming Creature, Imperia La Divina and Carnival of Souls sit closer to evening wear or moments when you want a perfume to make a clearer statement. Ching Shih and Queen Nzinga are distinctive enough to feel suited to occasions where you want something genuinely unusual. As with all of Marissa's work, the perfumes reward intentional use — choosing the right one for the right moment is part of the pleasure of wearing them.

Orders are prepared by hand, and dispatch usually takes between three and five working days depending on what the order contains. Samples are hand-poured in small batches, which can take additional time.

Within the UK, orders are sent with Royal Mail using tracked services. Most parcels travel on the Tracked 48 service, although special arrangements can be made on request and may incur a surcharge.

International orders, including samples, are shipped with FedEx. Delivery times vary depending on destination and customs processing.

Perfume is considered a hygiene-sensitive item, and under UK Consumer Contracts Regulations it cannot be returned once opened. This applies whether the product is wrapped in cellophane, sealed with a sticker, or simply packaged in a way that makes clear it is unused. Once a fragrance has been opened, sprayed or handled beyond inspection, it cannot be resold and is therefore not eligible for return based on personal preference.

If you would like to explore a scent before committing to a full-size bottle, I offer individually hand-poured samples so you can experience how it develops on your own skin.

Unopened perfumes may be eligible for return within the statutory period, and I am always here to help if an order arrives damaged, faulty or incorrect. Please contact me at bb@saintecellier.com for assistance.