What does Lost Americana smell like? (My first impressions of the Dossier x MGK scent)

I opened Lost Americana on day 8 of a beauty advent calendar with zero expectations. I had seen people talk about Dossier for months and had never smelled a single one of their scents. One spray in, I said it out loud on camera: I have never smelled anything like this.

Quick honesty note: this bottle came to me inside a gifted advent calendar, not a paid deal. Nobody asked me to say anything about it, and the notes I list below are the ones Dossier prints for the scent.

Video transcript

It is day 8 of unboxing the TikTok Shop Beauty Advent Calendar. If you haven't seen any of the other videos, we have had nothing but gems in here, so I'm so excited. And I have not been peeking, so I have no idea what's inside. I love the packaging on this box. "With a new smell comes new memories. Create your own nostalgia with Lost Americana." Oh, that's so cute! I love the packaging on this. I have seen a lot of people talk about this fragrance brand, but I have never tried their scents. I gotta find out what the hype is about. "Find what's lost." Lost Americana is the name of this scent. First off, presentation 10 out of 10. Ooh, it's like a very earthy scent. I feel like I have never smelled a scent like this before. And this is their collab scent with MGK. The top notes are incense, and yeah, I definitely would have described it as incense. Almond, pink pepper; middle notes have nutmeg, cinnamon; and the base notes have suede, vanilla, chocolate. Once the scent settles in a little bit, I definitely get a sweeter kick to it, but I love it. I'm for sure into sexy nighttime fragrances, so this Lost Americana is definitely my new favorite.

What does Lost Americana smell like on the first spray?

Earthy and smoky. The first thing that hits is incense, and when I read the card afterwards, incense really is listed as the lead top note, so my nose was not making it up. Right behind it there is almond and a little pink pepper, which is what keeps it from smelling like a church. It is warm, a bit spicy, and it does not smell like any celebrity perfume I have tried.

What are the notes in Lost Americana?

Per Dossier: incense, almond and pink pepper at the top. Nutmeg, myrrh and cinnamon in the middle. Vetiver, patchouli, suede, vanilla and a touch of chocolate at the base. On paper that sounds like a lot. On skin it reads as one cozy, smoky scent rather than a spice rack.

Does it change after it dries down?

Yes, and this is the part I like most. Give it a few minutes and the sweeter base comes forward. The vanilla and the chocolate soften all that smoke, so it goes from interesting to wearable. On me it ends up warm and a little sweet, close to the skin, the kind of scent someone only notices when they hug you.

Dossier says the eau de parfum lasts six to eight hours. That is their number, not a test I ran, so take it as the brand's claim.

Is Lost Americana a day or a night fragrance?

For me it is night. I am a sexy nighttime fragrance girl, and this sits right in that lane: smoky, warm, a little mysterious. You could wear it in the day in cooler weather, but in Miami heat I would keep it for dinner and going out.

It is sold as unisex, and I think it actually earns that. Nothing about it reads as a pretty floral or a cologne. It would smell just as good on a man as it does on me, which also makes it an easy gift if you are shopping for someone else.

Who this is not for

If you love fresh, clean, soapy scents, skip this one. It is the opposite of a clean girl fragrance. Same if strong spice notes like cinnamon or incense give you a headache, because they are the whole point here. And if you want something light for the office or the gym, this is too warm and too present for that. Anyone who reacts to fragrance on their skin should spray clothes instead, or patch test first.

But if you like warm, smoky, slightly sweet scents and you want something nobody else in the room is wearing, this is my new favorite and I would grab it again.