Over Smelling Like Everyone Else? Meet BORNTOSTANDOUT
October 8 | 5 minute read
Words by Christie Sinclair
Fact: the best ideas happen when you veer off the path everyone else is following – and that’s exactly how BORNTOSTANDOUT, the latest fragrance house to join MECCA, came to be.
A quick preface – if you’re easily offended, this might not be the brand for you. It’s provocative, daring, the scents a little filthy (our beauty editor’s words) and expletives appear boldly on their website. But they don’t apologise for it – and that’s exactly the point.
In a landscape built on legacy, polish and predictability, BORNTOSTANDOUT feels like a welcome jolt to the system.
“Back home I felt the constant pressure to follow one script, to study this, join that company, keep your head down,” founder Jun Lim explains of growing up in South Korea, one of the most conservative societies in the world.
“Everyone cared so much about what others might think that many people lived life on mute. Perfume became my louder language. I wanted a brand for people who refuse to shrink, a brand that breaks the small box they were told to live in.”
Life’s too short for safe scents
Starting to work in South Korea’s corporate culture led him to realise he wasn’t built for hierarchy or pleasing people just to keep the peace: “That was the moment I knew blending in was not for me,” he explains. So, in the ultimate act of defiance, Lim launched BORNTOSTANDOUT in 2022: a fragrance house that wears its IDGAF attitude on its sleeve, from the rule-breaking scents to stark white-and-crimson packaging, and stores – resplendent in bright tomato red – that feel more like art galleries.
“In scent, we brief perfumers as artists, not as technicians. No rigid template, carte blanche within the mission to rebel against standards,” he explains. “In packaging, pure white meets urgent red, a simple visual of purity and rebellion. In our stores, we ignore typical retail rules – we build art-driven spaces that feel like a creative universe, not a counter.”
The bottles, too, embody a push and pull between rebellion and tradition, because to Lim “roots matter”: “I began this journey out of love for my people and a desire to shift mindsets. The Joseon moon jar is serene and unmistakably Korean, and for me it represents the conservative ideal. Placing our vivid crimson against the pure white says everything: know where you come from, then write your own rules.”
“In scent, we brief perfumers as artists, not as technicians. No rigid template, carte blanche within the mission to rebel against standards,” he explains. “In packaging, pure white meets urgent red, a simple visual of purity and rebellion. In our stores, we ignore typical retail rules – we build art-driven spaces that feel like a creative universe, not a counter.”
The bottles, too, embody a push and pull between rebellion and tradition, because to Lim “roots matter”: “I began this journey out of love for my people and a desire to shift mindsets. The Joseon moon jar is serene and unmistakably Korean, and for me it represents the conservative ideal. Placing our vivid crimson against the pure white says everything: know where you come from, then write your own rules.”
Frozen mint, cannabis, durian, oh my!
While many maisons retreat to safe clichés or follow trends, BORNTOSTANDOUT would never; instead, Lim wants his fragrances to provoke emotion – even if that emotion is discomfort. Take DGAF EDP, described as “a beautiful mess”, or Nanatopia EDP, which he calls, “Your permission slip to embrace the silly, the sweet, the slightly unhinged side of yourself.” And Mad Honey (X Rated) EDP – “a psychotropic sensation.”
Lim’s concoctions include interesting ingredients like animalic musk, cannabis, frozen mint and in their newest scent, even durian (the divisive yellow fruit that’s been described as equal parts custard and sewage). “Scent bypasses logic. You cannot debate a goosebump,” the founder says, adding, “If everything is polished flat, nothing feels alive.”
That philosophy comes through strongly in BORNTOSTANDOUT’s approach to the gourmand genre, which Lim has completely redefined by pushing it into decadent, slightly dirty territory. “I love gourmands that flirt with mess – caramel on warm skin, fruit that feels too ripe, sweetness with shadow. That tension is addictive. Cute is forgettable. Decadent is not,” Lim explains.
Lim’s concoctions include interesting ingredients like animalic musk, cannabis, frozen mint and in their newest scent, even durian (the divisive yellow fruit that’s been described as equal parts custard and sewage). “Scent bypasses logic. You cannot debate a goosebump,” the founder says, adding, “If everything is polished flat, nothing feels alive.”
That philosophy comes through strongly in BORNTOSTANDOUT’s approach to the gourmand genre, which Lim has completely redefined by pushing it into decadent, slightly dirty territory. “I love gourmands that flirt with mess – caramel on warm skin, fruit that feels too ripe, sweetness with shadow. That tension is addictive. Cute is forgettable. Decadent is not,” Lim explains.
Lim’s guide to BORNTOSTANDOUT
When asked about his own scent wardrobe, it’s a masterclass in using fragrance not just to smell good, but to express mood, energy and intent. “By day, Dirty Rice EDP or Dirty Heaven EDP – they sit close and slow burn,” he says. He also leans into layering: “Sugar Addict EDP under Nuts EDP to turn playful into brazen.”
As for the scents Lim thinks us fragrance lovers in the southern hemisphere might enjoy: “For warm days, Sugar Addict EDP and Nuts EDP give bright, modern gourmands that feel light on skin. For cooler nights, Drunk Maple EDP brings boozy warmth and long, elegant trails.”
As for the scents Lim thinks us fragrance lovers in the southern hemisphere might enjoy: “For warm days, Sugar Addict EDP and Nuts EDP give bright, modern gourmands that feel light on skin. For cooler nights, Drunk Maple EDP brings boozy warmth and long, elegant trails.”
Scent as a statement
Lim’s aim isn’t to please everyone. In fact, it’s the complete opposite. “Challenge creates intimacy,” he tells us. “If a perfume moves you, you remember it, you return to it, you claim it. Our goal is not mass approval. Our goal is deep connection. I would rather be someone’s forever than someone’s maybe.”
If you’re looking for a safe spritz, BORNTOSTANDOUT isn't it; but if you want something that pushes the boundaries, something a little risky, a little rebellious, we guarantee you’re going to fall hard for these fragrances.
If you’re looking for a safe spritz, BORNTOSTANDOUT isn't it; but if you want something that pushes the boundaries, something a little risky, a little rebellious, we guarantee you’re going to fall hard for these fragrances.
