I've Wanted to Know Chad Michael Murray's Scent Since 2001—Now I Know It's This French Hair Perfume

I think Chad Michael Murray is the ultimate rom-com icon of the early 2000s, and I know so many millennials who would agree. He was Tristin in Gilmore Girls, Lucas in One Tree Hill, and Jake in Freaky Friday, but I associate him most with his character Austin Ames, or Nomad609 (IYKYK), from the pivotal 2004 film A Cinderella Story.
In those days, I would have traded my favorite blue raspberry body glitter to know what fragrance he wore. Sure, I had to wait almost a quarter of a century, but I finally have the info I wanted way back then. Recently, Murray attended the NYC screening of Freakier Friday wearing a hair perfume and its matching eau de parfum—both from an iconic French fragrance house.
The Exact Hair Perfume
Fragrance notes: bergamot, mandarin, white peach, orange flower, Nympheal, vetiver, akigalawood, ambrofix, musk
Celebrity groomer Laila Hayani finished off Murray's Freakier Friday NYC premiere look with a spritz of Parfums de Marly's Valaya Hair Mist. With notes like bergamot, mandarin, and vetiver, it's equal parts floral, woody, and musky.
Murray wore this hair perfume on the red carpet, but I'll be wearing it in my normal, everyday life. It's soft and subtle enough for daytime wear yet musky and sultry enough for the nighttime. I like that the scent clings to my hair strands, lasting longer than traditional perfumes on my skin and clothes. Speaking of traditional perfume, though, Murray wore both. (Apparently, he's in on the "scentmaxxing" trend that's all over TikTok.) Shop the eau de parfum below.
The Matching Fragrance
Fragrance notes: bergamot, mandarin, white peach, orange flower, Nympheal, vetiver, akigalawood, ambrofix, musk
The brand describes this fragrance as "an evocation of the skin caressed by a veil of cotton." As such, I think it could definitely be described as a skin scent. It's floral and fruity at first spritz, but when it dries down, it has a soft, subtle "your skin but better" effect. It's one of my favorite Parfums de Marly creations, and now that I know Chad Michael Murray is a fan, well, that's even better.
Shop 5 More Editor-Approved Parfums de Marly Scents

Kaitlyn McLintock is a Beauty Editor at Who What Wear. She has 10 years of experience in the editorial industry, having previously written for other industry-leading publications, like Byrdie, InStyle, The Zoe Report, Bustle, and others. She covers all things beauty and wellness-related, but she has a special passion for creating skincare content (whether that's writing about an innovative in-office treatment, researching the benefits of a certain ingredient, or testing the latest and greatest at-home skin device). Having lived in Los Angeles, California, and Austin, Texas, she has since relocated back to her home state, Michigan. When she's not writing, researching, or testing beauty products, she's working through an ever-growing book collection or swimming in the Great Lakes.
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