By all accounts, Dear Diary, which has been two years within the making, is extra than simply one other celeb fragrance drop. For actor Rashmika Mandanna, it is a venture rooted in reminiscence and self-reflection; an try and distil emotion, nostalgia, and id into scent. Inspired by the journal entries she used to jot down as a baby, and later revisited in her in style Instagram collection of the identical title, Dear Diary marks her first foray into magnificence entrepreneurship.
“This isn’t just a business venture,” she says. “Fragrance is so personal to me. It is the one thing that instantly takes me back to specific moments — my mother’s body lotion, the scent of the Coorg air, the perfume I wore during important chapters in my life. These perfumes are my way of giving back. It’s a personal hug for everyone who’s supported me.”
Dear Diary is a sensory archive of tales
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The title Dear Diary itself carries a robust emotional pull. Rashmika started journalling when she was quieter, introverted, and with out many individuals to speak to. “So I’d sit and write. It was always addressed to ‘Dear Diary’ because I never felt like I needed to name it anything else. And years later, when I started the series on Instagram, it felt like a natural continuation. I wanted to remind people that the small, quiet things in life matter. That even getting out of bed and going back to sleep counts as something. This fragrance line is that idea in a bottle.”
Memories in a bottle
Born and raised in Virajpet (additionally spelled Virajapete), a small township within the district of Kodagu (previously Coorg), Rashmika grew up surrounded by the dense greenery and earthy air of Karnataka’s hill area, particulars which have seeped into her reminiscence and now, her model. “There’s a smell to home,” she says. “Anyone who’s grown up in a place like that will tell you. For me, it’s the soil, the trees, the monsoon. I carry that with me, even now.”
She is evident that the scents are usually not extensions of her celeb persona, however of her self. “I didn’t approach this as an actor. I looked at it as me — just Rashmika. Not the characters, not the headlines. This is who I am. That’s why the names too — National Crush, Irreplaceable, Controversial — they’re all labels I’ve been given, but I’ve made peace with them. They’re part of me, and now part of this brand.”
Developed in partnership with New York-based The PCA Companies, a agency recognized for scaling world magnificence labels, Dear Diary is clearly constructed on technique in addition to sentiment. Its packaging is minimal and pastel-toned, interesting to a youthful demographic, whereas the 100ml bottles are priced at ₹2,599 — reasonably priced by celeb fragrance requirements, and aimed toward making the gathering accessible. We wore every of the fragrances via completely different components of the day and here’s what lingered, and what didn’t.
Test drive
Worn on a humid night after a bout of rain, National Crush opens shiny with citrus — mandarin and lemon upfront, adopted by delicate florals and a refined trace of starfruit. There is a breezy lightness to it that makes it really feel wearable for each day outings. But inside a couple of hours, the scent begins to fade. Its base of sandalwood and sheer musk barely settles earlier than it begins to vanish from the pores and skin. It is contemporary, sure, however doesn’t provide a lot by means of longevity or physique. You must reapply usually in order for you it to final via dinner or a night out.
National Crush
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Irreplaceable, worn throughout a noon lunch in gentle climate, leans into sweetness, with high notes of peach pores and skin and iced lemon giving solution to lychee and passionfruit. At first spritz, it has the texture of a youthful, ethereal fruit mix — mild, approachable, and straightforward to love. But very similar to National Crush, it fades quick. Within an hour or so, it is barely there. It feels much less like a fragrance and extra like a refreshing mist, one thing you may spray post-shower or carry in your bag for a pick-me-up, however not depend on for endurance.
Irreplaceable
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Controversial, worn throughout a day espresso run on a wet day, appears to fare higher. It opens with a crisp mix of bergamot and grapefruit, settling into gardenia and apple blossom. The dry down brings in amber and musk, giving it a contact of heat and grounding that the opposite two lack. It holds on the pores and skin longer, making it a extra rounded, versatile scent. Still refined, however it has extra character. Of the three, Controversial feels probably the most full.
Controversial
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Rashmika is conscious that constructing a fragrance line from scratch comes with challenges. “Your dreams are one thing, but reality is another,” she says. “There’s the scent, the balance between floral and fruity, the colour, the cost — so much goes into it. This is my baby. We’ve tried our best. And now that it’s out there, we’re open to hearing what people think. I want it to grow with the feedback we get.”
Note: Indian pores and skin in humid areas like Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata tends to be oilier as a consequence of elevated sebum manufacturing in heat, humid climates (Skin Research and Technology, 2019). Men produce extra sebum than girls as a consequence of greater testosterone and DHT ranges (Dermato-Endocrinology, 2011). Women’s pores and skin is barely extra acidic, enhancing floral and fruity fragrance notes whereas softening musk or leather-based scents (Dermato-Endocrinology, 2011). Oestrogen could heighten girls’s olfactory sensitivity, making layered, emotional fragrances (Chemical Senses, 2002) like Dear Diary bloom extra on their pores and skin although these scents are unisex.
