ABL’s Anti-Rape Culture Perfume "Don't Rape Me Bro"

No perfume means a different thing now. A new perfume wants to stress out No mean No. rape is a serious topic in the States and around the world. As in in the United States alone, an average of 207,754 people are victims of sexual assault each year, reports anti-sexual violence organization Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN). That’s equivalent to one victim every two minutes –about the time it’ll take you to read this blog post. To make matters worse, 97 percent of rapists will never see the inside of a jail cell for their crimes.

And sadly, survivors of sexual violence don’t always find the support they need and deserve. Take Rehtaeh Parsons, for example: After having been allegedly gang raped at a party, the 17-year-old student’s classmates mercilessly bullied her. Rehtaeh took her own life this past April, after being branded a “slut”, “liar”, and “whore”.

While attempting to combat a culture that condones the rape of women and girls could seem overwhelming, even small steps can make a difference. That’s where NO by ABL Eau de Parfum ($52, abeautifullife.com) comes in. Ripe fruits and wildflowers flirt with pink peppercorn and patchouli to create a blend that’s as sweet as it is empowering. For each bottle purchased, the husband and wife team behind A Beautiful Life will donate $10 to anti-sexual violence organizations, starting with RAINN.

I do think the right perfume to fight off a rapist is not perfume, but rather a very strong (and impairing) pepper spray.

Emblazoned with the word “NO” on the bottle, the fragrance’s tagline is “be sexy, say no.” xoVain editor Hannah Johnson eloquently wrote, “Just as I believe that a woman should be able to leave the house in a mini skirt, a crop top, an exposed thong, whatever, without being catcalled or assaulted, I also believe you should be able to beautify yourself and yes, spritz yourself with a sexy, heady, ‘aphrodisiac’ scent, without feeling obligated to consent to something you don’t want to.”

Let’s just pass that message along to every person ever. While a bottle of perfume –no matter how delicious it smells– won’t put an end to our society’s deeply-ingrained rape culture, it’s a start. And when you receive compliments (you will), be sure to tell your lady friends where you picked this scent up!

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