RAAW MUSE - GABRIELLA VERGILOV
Can you briefly introduce yourself and your everyday life?
I'm Gabriella Vergilov, music performing artist: producer, DJ, singer-songwriter.
I'm based in Copenhagen, born in Bulgaria. I've been deep in underground electronic music for over 13 years: clubs, festivals, travels and tours. When I don't do music I also work with content, visual development and creative direction.
My everyday life is a mix of music studio sessions, somatic movements, hit class or gym + sauna, tons of female sensory rituals, potions, herbs that keep me connected to the divine Feminine source, lots of content creation and editing, work emails, PR events and lately painting. I'm a total social butterfly but when I do my work I turn into an introvert. Creativity often comes from isolation. And right now I'm finishing my debut album and preparing my first solo exhibition.
How would your friends describe your vibe in 3 words?
Passionate, strong, giving.
I tend to go that extra mile for the people I love.
I believe you get what you give, or at least that's what I noticed. Some people say I'm a witch, but a good one.
What’s your signature scent right now?
It's been a layering situation lately. I've been devoted to Coco Santal since its launch. I started mixing it with The Lobby Boy, which carries a very specific love affair energy for me.
Are you a one-signature-scent person, or do you switch fragrances depending on your mood?
I try to be a one-scent woman, I really do. I don't always succeed though. I'm also a Libra and I endlessly search for the ultimate choice. The AH! effect. But I usually commit to one scent for my evenings and stick with it for a year until I drain the bottle before I change.
My day scents: I'm a bit more flexible with them. But I feel that The Lobby Boy will always have a permanent place in my collection, some things you simply keep. It was love at first sight with that one.
What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received about a fragrance?
A text from a man: "I can still smell you on my pillow and I don't want to wash it."
Another one, I had a DJ gig and after my show people came to me saying the whole room smelled incredible. Imagine: a dusty dark nightclub, concrete walls, tons of body sweat from hundreds of people and intense energy. Scent really is part of my personality AND character when I perform, and I want people to have a full sensory experience with me. Memorable.
If your personality were a perfume, what notes would it contain?
Moroccan orange blossom, sour cherry, aldehydes, chypre, a touch of tobacco, castoreum, leather, lilac, oakmoss, musk, pine tree, amber, lilies, sage, sandalwood, tonka.
I think that's a feral combo. Something that lingers. Something you either love or hate but never forget.
What scent instantly brings back a special memory for you?
Sour cherries. It reminds me of my mother in her 30s and the house I grew up in. She also planted an entire rose garden, every rose a different colour. I'm not typically drawn to rose notes in perfume, but the real flower, that's a different story entirely.
I was 10 years old when I started collecting the petals and covering myself in a bathtub full of them. That was my first beauty ritual, and I didn't even know it. Then there's lilac. I am completely obsessed with that scent to this day. It's one of those things that hits you and takes you somewhere before you even realise it. My grandmother's garden was full of them, lilacs, peonies, lily of the valley everywhere. Then there's smoke, leather and whiskey and that's my father.
Freshly washed laundry is another thing I love, too.
What’s your go-to ritual when getting ready for a night out?
I like to take my time, that's part of the ritual. My friends know that if plans are at 20:00, I'll arrive around 22:22. So I put on mellow, a bit dramatic but sensual music, palo santo, candles, a glass of kombucha, then I dry brush, then exfoliate from head to toe with a homemade mix of coffee, honey and oil. I would wash my hair with The RAAW Hair Wash and Conditioner and honestly the shampoo smells so divine I actually use it also as a body wash!
While I wash my body I also practice cleansing the aura affirmations. Then Layers of body oils, lotions and skincare alchemy: that’s my religion. I am lately obsessed with The Blue Drops and it's a ritual on its own. I finish with a sleek ballerina bun, lip in color orange tile, affirmations for the best outcome from the night, and the perfect scent.
Then I walk out like I mean it. And if strangers start smiling at me for no reason, I know the prep ritual is working!
Which RAAW Alchemy fragrance best matches your energy right now, and why?
I swap between No Vacancy and Coco Santal at the moment. I've been looking for something sophisticated and exotic with a clean edge, No Vacancy is exactly that. The artisan citrus is perfect for summer and it's got some semi-metallic note which drives me crazy. I was out on the weekend and people gave me compliments about it.
Coco Santal brings just the right amount of sweetness. I am actually surprised, because I usually don't do sweet flavours, I go for the sharp rather masculine ones, but that one has something in it I can't explain and it's so yummy.
Together they feel like me: layered, intentional, a little unpredictable. Okay, can I also say The House Cologne is quite addictive. I actually spray myself with it sometimes…
What’s your ultimate confidence booster before a big event, date, or party?
Taking care of your body and appearance is a form of self-respect, and I truly believe the physical and the mental are connected.
But real confidence for me comes from two things working together: knowing you are enough without anyone's approval, and the pure playfulness of getting ready, the music, the ritual, the transformation.
That combination is the alchemical reaction that will get you out the door radiating in a way that no filter ever could.
