What Magic Smells Like, According To Corbin Chamberlin

Every scent evokes an emotion. In Scent Stories, TZR asks tastemakers, celebrities, and industry insiders to share the stories behind the smells of their past and present.

For Corbin Chamberlin, fragrance has always been tied to magic. While most of his peers bounced around from one after-school activity to the next, Chamberlin was learning how to charge crystals under the full moon and differentiate which herbs, when burned, would clear negative energy. “Growing up, we never identified as ‘witches,’” he explains. “Instead, the women in my family embraced their intuitive nature and practiced alternative modalities.” Through these lessons, passed down his mother and grandmother, Chamberlin unearthed the soul-healing power of nature and scent. “I discovered that every plant, botanical, and fragrance carries its own distinct energy, frequency, and magical properties,” he says. Soon, he honed in on the gifts he possessed and started incorporating the power of fragrance into his daily life. “I burned desert sage for purification, wore lemongrass to attract prosperity, and carried pouches of juniper berries for protection,” he says.

These days, Chamberlin channels his magical upbringing into his own brand, Sage & Salt — a line of “energy-altering goods” that range from evil-eye bag charms worthy of a Birkin to spiky rose-quartz crystals to manifest dreams. He also counts a slew of celebrities and fashion insiders as regular clients (though he’s tight-lipped on the names), all of whom count on his spiritual gifts to offer clarity into looming life decisions, career opportunities, and more.

But not everyone can fly to Sedona to see Chamberlin for a reading, or ask him to concoct a personalized eclipse ritual — which is what led him to create his fragrances, Luna Absolue and Moon Ring, inspired by the phases of the moon. In collaboration with perfumer Sarah Horowitz, Chamberlin dreamed up the scents as a way to allow anyone to select the energy they want to manifest every day. One spritz of Luna Absolue, and a cluttered nightstand transforms into a spiritual altar; another spritz of Moon Ring, and one instantly feels the heaviness of the day ooze away.

Ahead, Chamberlin shares the inspiration for his soul-soothing fragrances and the stories of his life through scent.

How do you come up with the notes for Luna Absolute and Moon Rising?

It all begins with intention — I want [people to] select the energy they wish to manifest each day. During a full moon — a time for energizing and clearing obstacles — Luna Absolue infuses temple incense, palo santo, and tobacco to purify the space, complemented by rich Bulgarian rose as an offering to the divine feminine. In contrast, Moon Ring, designed for the new moon, embodies new beginnings and manifestation with vibrant notes of tomato leaf, green fig, and vanilla orchid, leaving you invigorated.

What was the first fragrance you ever bought and why?

I was 11 in TJ Maxx and I made my first "luxury" purchase: a $15 bottle of Burberry Weekend. It's a super fresh cedarwood with soapy notes. It could have smelled like pool water, but the idea of owning something Burberry snared my inner bougie-witch. I quickly departed those soapy waters though...

What fragrance or smell reminds you of love?

The day before my first date with the man who would later become my husband, I received a bottle of Bond No.9 HTTP — a blend of santal and pineapple. I wore it, and he immediately complimented it. Although the fragrance has been discontinued for years, I continue to cherish the remaining bottle, wearing it every year on the anniversary of that first date. Laurice Rahmé, this is a plea to revive this one.

What fragrance or smell reminds you of your favorite vacation?

Another husband-related story — this time it's my honeymoon in Kauai, my favorite place on earth. We were on a hike in the jungle, and the salt-soaked breeze of the ocean carried a whiff of night-blooming jasmine, mixed with the rich smell of earth and vegetation. It’s one of the few scents I can recall if I close my eyes and think about it.

What fragrance do you choose when you're doing a ritual?

Before any ritual, ceremonial cleansing is essential. I typically choose a blend of copal, frankincense, benzoin, and dragon blood resin, burned over a charcoal disc, to concentrate and purify space, body, and spirit. This aromatic mix grounds me and prepares my mind for all my manifesting endeavors. As the fall holiday of Samhain approaches, I like to mix in cinnamon, clove, and sandalwood with my copal to honor my ancestors, adding an extra layer of reverence to my rituals.

“It's giving hot, rich, bear-daddy and I'm into that.”

What fragrance are you wearing currently?

While I've been experimenting with variations of my perfumes during development, I've recently been drawn to a fragrance I discovered at The Conservatory — a true gem of a store in Dallas. The scent is Canadian Tuxedo by Perfumehead. Unlike many fragrances that merely claim to be sexy, this one genuinely embodies allure with its blend of leathery amber, tonka bean, cedarwood, patchouli, and orange flower. It's giving hot, rich, bear-daddy and I'm into that.

What does your home smell like?

Upon entering my place, you're met by the aromas of desert sage and palo santo from a bottle of Smokeless Smudge on my entryway table — because check your vibes on arrival, please. As you move through the space, hints of ceremonial incense from my altar room mingle with the handsome, intriguing scent of Ernesto candles by Trudon, which contains notes of tobacco, clove, bergamot, and rum.