Luxury Bug Repellant Is Here—and $65. We Tested It in the Woods.
For those with sensitive skin—or a penchant for Instagram bragging—there’s a new way to keep mosquitoes away.
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
As a fashion editor, I’m drawn to buzz. As a trail runner, though, I desperately avoid it, especially the buzzing of bite-happy mosquitoes and black flies.
Traditional sprays, while effective, make my eyes water and skin itch, thanks to harsh chemical formulas and noxious odors. Would the new, pricey “bug spray perfumes” deter pests and rashes while attracting compliments?
I tested five on long runs in New York parks and forests.
Heretic Parfum Entomologist Spray, from $45
This woodsy blend of cedar, thyme and sugar-cane alcohol smelled more like a creative director on a first date than a bug repellent. Shockingly, it kept the mosquitoes off my bare legs on a 5k, without irritating skin or leaving greasy residue. A fellow runner asked if I was dating someone new after getting a whiff of the formula.
A repellant-slash-perfume with quite the pedigree: Its creator is Princess Ala von Auersperg, and its publicist is a former Chanel exec. Though gentle on my skin, its fruity top notes conjured the Bath & Body Works sprays of a junior high sleepover. I got just two mosquito bites on my evening run through Central Park, but I smelled so much like the mall that I craved an Auntie Anne’s pretzel by mile three.
Created by a Hudson Valley botanist and former chef, this solid moisturizer-and-bug-spray combo is the only insect repellent Sephora sells. It smelled faintly like a citronella candle and felt like Crisco, though after a mile on a state park trail, my legs felt buttery soft instead of coated in butter. I came home with several gnat bites on my shoulder, but zero mosquito damage, and the supple-skin effect lasted a full 24 hours.
This spray evoked a Creamsicle melted into a cauldron full of lemongrass and citronella oil. Its sweet-smelling formula feels like suntan oil, which made it easy to spread the concoction across my whole body—but tricky when I went to open my front door and realized my hands were sliding off the knob. The aesthetic effect, however, was gorgeous: My legs appeared shiny and slightly bronzed. I got three mosquito bites by mile six, but zero skin hives, and the scent was nostalgically sweet.
PHOTO: FREE PEOPLE
If I were to give this bug spray its own performance review, I would say it hit its main key performance indicator—keeping bugs away during a 10k race—but did the bare minimum in all other categories. It smelled a bit like lemon soap, which made my eyes tingle, and left an oily sheen on my thighs for a little too long. On the plus side, it didn’t irritate my skin, likely because the main ingredients are flax oil and sunflower-seed oil. But given its $22 price, I’ll just buy two bottles of my trusty $9 Herbal Armor from Whole Foods and call it a day.