July 20, 2019 is the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11’s spaceflight to the Moon and the first human contact on its surface. “One small step for man…” (You know the rest!)

I don’t think Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong, and Michael Collins were wearing cologne on that historic voyage—they had other things on their mind!—but I couldn’t help wondering, what perfume would I wear for a fantasy visit to the Moon or simply for an evening of moon-gazing? What might enhance or complement that experience?

Here are a few ideas…

Dawn Spencer Hurwitz Shimotsuki (Frosty Moon). I reviewed this fragrance on Now Smell This when it was released as part of DSH’s Haiku/Japan: Moonlight series.

It’s cool yet comforting, perfect for a night of contemplating the infinite skies above us — “a delicate and snowy soft perfume with frosty freshness in the top note, a contemplative hawthorn and orris heart, and dry woods in the base.”

Blackbird Triton. This lunar-themed fragrance is actually named for one of the moons of the planet Neptune, so I’m cheating a bit here! It’s a gender-neutral fragrance that evokes “finding and relishing the beauty of a frozen landscape.” I’ve also reviewed this one for Now Smell This.

Blackbird is a small indie perfume line based in Seattle. Their fragrances often have a futuristic and/or industrial feel and are worth checking out.

Pilar and Lucy Tiptoeing Through the Chambers of the Moon. If you were planning on glamming up for your voyage to our mysterious space-neighbor, or just for a moonlit picnic here on Earth, you could wear a retro tuberose-and-amber scent like this one.

One of Pilar and Lucy’s other fragrances is named Exact Friction of the Stars, so I’m sensing some sort of celestial theme for this brand.

Demeter Spacewalk. Yes, Demeter has a scent for everything. Spacewalk was inspired by astronaut Don Pettit’s olfactory description of outer space: “It is hard to describe this smell. . . .The best description I can come up with is metallic; a rather pleasant sweet metallic sensation.”

I wonder whether its recent release (May 2019) was intended as a tie-in for this anniversary. Possibly!

Penhaligon’s Luna and Endymion. This his-and-hers duo is named for the Moon and her mortal lover. Penhaligon’s tells us, “In ancient Greek mythology, the Goddess of the Moon placed Endymion, the most handsome son of Zeus, into a perpetual slumber so that she could gaze upon him forever.”

Luna is a fresh floral fragrance, while Endymion is an “oriental” blend with notes of lavender, spice, and leather.

Bonus! Schmidt’s Moon Flower Natural Deodorant. Here’s a stick deodorant that you could apply in case you’re nervous about your space travel or just thinking that you might get a little sweaty inside your astronaut gear.

(I’m taking a little poetic license. It’s actually inspired by night-blooming flowers like datura and it’s supposed to smell like “a desert retreat, with notes of palo santo, jasmine, and woody undertones.”)

And this unobtainable item would be my choice for a thematic home fragrance: Cire Trudon Odeur de la Lune. I loved sniffing this candle at Aedes de Venustas and I wish I’d bought one when it was still available, as expensive as it was. Now its weird mineral-metallic scent is just a memory.

What perfume would you wear for a trip to the Moon?