I spend most of my days in an office where the air smells faintly of burnt coffee and last year’s corporate ambitions. And while I’ve made peace with my spreadsheets and endless calendar invites, I refuse to accept that my everyday life has to smell as dull as a nibbled on pencil. That’s probably why I fell so hard for Kerosene’s Unknown Pleasures — a fragrance that feels like playing hooky from adulthood, even if I’m still very much sitting at my desk.

The creator behind this little bottle of escapism is John Pegg, and if you’re not familiar with him yet, you’re in for a treat. John didn’t take the polished, Parisian route to perfumery. He grew up in Michigan, surrounded by the hum of engines and the scent of motor oil, working on motorcycles and living a life that was more grease and grit than glamour. Before he became a perfumer, he was actually a well-known fragrance reviewer on YouTube. But rather than just talking about perfume, he did something most people wouldn’t dare: he taught himself how to make it. And against every expectation, he made something remarkable.

That’s how Kerosene was born — a brand that doesn’t just embrace its industrial roots, but celebrates them. The very name “Kerosene” conjures images of raw power and rugged edges, and that’s exactly what you’ll find in the fragrances. They’re bold, unconventional, and beautifully human — not sanitized or overly refined. Every scent feels like a story told by someone who’s lived a little, maybe made a few mistakes, and definitely has better things to do than play it safe.

And then there’s Unknown Pleasures, the scent that reeled me in.

If this perfume were a moment, it would be one of those gray Saturdays where the weather gives you full permission to stay in and do nothing productive. You’re wrapped up in your softest robe, the kettle’s just started to whistle, and someone—not you, of course, you’re off duty—has made a fresh batch of waffles. There’s honey dripping lazily over the edges of the plate, steam curling up from a perfectly brewed cup of Earl Grey, and a bright twist of lemon zest floating on top.

That’s exactly what Unknown Pleasures smells like.

It opens with that playful burst of lemon sugar — bright enough to lift your mood but never so sweet it turns cloying. Then comes the real comfort: golden honey, warm waffles straight off the griddle, and that gentle, unmistakable thread of Earl Grey tea running through it all. There’s this beautiful balance between indulgence and restraint — the scent equivalent of staying under the covers a little longer even though you know you should be up.

But what really seals it for me is the drydown. Long after the day’s chaos has settled, soft hints of vanilla and warm, resinous benzoin stay close to the skin. It’s subtle and deeply comforting — like the soft hum of a favorite record playing low in the background.

And true to the brand’s character, the bottle isn’t some delicate little thing designed to sit quietly on a mirrored tray. It’s heavy, solid, and hand-painted in bold industrial colors. It looks like something salvaged from an old machine shop — unapologetically raw, beautifully imperfect, and somehow still elegant in its own way.

I keep Unknown Pleasures right there on my desk, tucked between my notebook and a half-drunk cup of coffee. On days when the meetings feel endless and my phone lights up with nothing but unread messages from apps I’m too tired to open, I’ll lean in for just a quiet reminder of life’s simpler joys.

I might be single, I might spend more evenings than I’d care to admit with takeout and old movies, but honestly? There’s a freedom in that. And Unknown Pleasures feels exactly like that kind of freedom — a reminder that you don’t need an occasion, or anyone else for that matter, to create a little moment of happiness.

So if you’re sitting around waiting for life to bring you something extraordinary, don’t. Go find it. Or better yet, wear it.