Delusions of Grandeur Gets Its Close-Up
Delusions of Grandeur was the first fragrance we ever made. Before the Discovery Sets, before the silly samples, before anyone could pronounce L'Epoque, there was one bottle of apricot, tobacco, and rum that was fully convinced it was famous.
It was right. We just took a year to catch up.
This fall, Delusions gets the thing it's been demanding since day one: its own short film. Our first ever.
One bottle. Two bathrooms. Same night.
In the first cut, she's getting ready. Mirror, lip, the whole ritual. The last thing she puts on is Delusions of Grandeur, and the second it hits, we're gone. A red cocktail bar. Drinks with her girls. A detour into a DJ booth nobody invited her into. A little too much eye contact with the bartender.
In the second cut, he's the bartender. Clean shirt, fresh face, a few spritzes on his way out the door. Then he's working. Slinging drinks, watching the room, minding his business. Until she starts talking to him.
You know how this ends. The chance encounter. They leave together. Smelling good.
Two people, one fragrance, zero intention of going home early. Delusions doesn't care who you are. It cares that you've decided tonight is yours.
Why now
Because it's fall, and fall has always been Delusions weather. The minute the air turns, you trade sunscreen and citrus for something warmer, darker, and a lot more sure of itself.
And because a debut deserves more than a supporting role. Dopamine Rose got the alignment charts. Delusions was busy.
What it smells like
Warm. Boozy. Opulent. A little delusional, which is the point.
It opens like the first sip of a drink you didn't order but aren't sending back: sticky apricot, tobacco leaf, a splash of rum. Jasmine sambac, leather, and saffron arrive right around the time you decide you're staying out. Amber, sandalwood, and musk are what's still on your jacket the next morning.
Composed by Elena Valdivieso Ruiz at Robertet. Eau de Parfum, 20%. 30ml, because this is a chapter, not a life sentence.
Wear it last. After the outfit, after the lip, after you've told everyone you're only staying for one.
Who it's for
None of our fragrances are gendered. Skin doesn't check ID, and neither do we. But if you're shopping for someone else, or planning to share a bottle with whoever's on the other side of the bathroom sink, Delusions is the easiest yes in the lineup. The tobacco, leather, and saffron give it edge. The apricot and jasmine keep it from taking itself too seriously. It reads confident on everyone, which is exactly why it was the only choice for a film with two leads.
Delusions of Grandeur, at a glance
- What it is: Delusions of Grandeur is an amber Eau de Parfum (20% concentration) by L'Epoque Parfums, sold in a 30ml bottle for $125.
- Notes: Top notes of apricot, tobacco, and rum. Heart notes of jasmine sambac, leather, and saffron. Base notes of amber, sandalwood, and musk.
- Perfumer: Elena Valdivieso Ruiz of Robertet.
- Who wears it: Delusions of Grandeur is one of L'Epoque's most unisex fragrances. L'Epoque doesn't gender any of its scents, and the brand's first short film shows both a woman and a man wearing Delusions on the same night out.
- When to wear it: Fall and winter evenings, nights out, and any occasion where you plan to be noticed.
- History: One of L'Epoque's two debut fragrances, launched in 2025 alongside Dopamine Rose.
- Where to buy: lepoqueparfums.com and 40+ specialty retailers across the US.
- Try it first: The L'Epoque Discovery Set includes five 1ml vials for $30, with $25 returned as credit toward a full bottle.
Not ready to let summer go? Jungle Juice pairs Delusions with Serotonin Spritz for $220. Still deciding? Start with the Discovery Set.
xx, L'Epoque