Between the Boy Smells relaunch and my current obsession with .Oddity’s latest drop, I’ve been thinking a lot about bottle caps this week. So I figured—why not do a quick post on the subject? Which caps are perfection? Which ones do you hate but put up with? And how much does this detail matter, anyway?

Before I get into it—as an official Stéle spokesperson I would be failing at my job (jkjk this is not a thing I just stan them), if I didn’t make sure you all know that they dropped 100 new fragrances this week as part of their Spring collection. Many are from global brands that are either hard to find in the U.S. or debuting here for the very first time. Many of us spent Thursday and Friday frantically scouring the site, snapping up samples and bottles from houses we’ve never had the chance to smell before. I’ll be sharing a post later this week highlighting some of the standout new brands they’ve added—stay tuned.

I try to stay away from perfume news and drama, mainly because there are enough people covering all those things, and I’m much more interested in the feelings and smells when it comes to perfume. But it’s hard to avoid all that’s going on with Boy Smells—their new bottle launch, and the reformulation of their fragrances. I have not compared the old and new Violet Ends side by side yet, but it does have a new formulation, which makes me wonder if I should start scrambling to find the old bottle while I still can. I refused to purchase a full-size bottle because I hated the old Boy Smells bottle tops. They looked goofy, and they seemed precarious and top-heavy. But I’d take the old bottle design over the new look, tall bottle cap and all. It just looks generic, made for the shelves at Sephora, it’s lost some character. I get it—they likely wanted to go more mass, reach a broader audience, and sell more. It’s a business. And sure, I’ll try the new line (maybe I’ll eat my words), but I’m still allowed to mourn the old look and scents—even with a bottle cap I couldn’t stand.

I’m 100% eyeing the new .Oddity release, Delulu, for the bottle cap alone—it’s made from toys found in the ocean, and no two are alike. I’m honestly tempted to order it just to see which one I get. I mean… look at these!

The stars in this one!

This isn’t even a scent profile I usually go for—though I can almost convince myself otherwise. That said, I did learn from

Another cap that completely mystifies me: the one on Divine Tentation by Reine de Saba. This is a pricey fragrance, but it really does smell divine. André’s a fan—and honestly, I love smelling it on him. It’s a warm, spicy, boozy blend that lingers beautifully on his skin. He sticks to samples, partly because of the price tag, but also… where would you even put this bottle? The photos don’t do the cap’s enormity justice—it’s truly next-level. Completely over the top. Maybe I respect it for its grandiosity? But I don’t think I’d want it in my collection. It’s a lot.

I’ve heard both love and hate for Stora Skuggan bottle tops. Personally, I love them, and I love how pretty my bottle of Fantôme de Maules looks on my perfume shelf.

No conversation about wild bottle caps would be complete without mentioning Filippo Sorcinelli (thank you for the reminder, Britta!). These are less bottles and more sculptural works of art—each one deserving a display shelf of its own.

Of course, I had to ask for your hot takes on bottle caps you love (and love to hate) over on IG Stories. Here’s what you shared—I’ve crossed out the names since I didn’t ask for permission to include them, but please keep the conversation going in the comments. I know you’ll have some fun thoughts to add!

Agree on Marilou cork caps—love them and they fit with the vibe of that line so well. I’m also a big fan of the Clue caps!! And who doesn’t love the satisfaction of a magnetic cap?