Red, White, & Royal Blue’s iconic “Santal 33” has rewired my brain. So, when watching Heated Rivalry’s most romantic and steamy scenes, I couldn’t help but wonder, “What does he smell like?”

The gay hockey romance follows Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov as they go from junior leagues to pro captains of rival teams and, most importantly, become intertwined in a secret situationship. With passionate intimate scenes, actors Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie spent a lot of time up close and personal, and that’s the best way to smell someone’s signature scent.

When Vogue Senior Beauty and Wellness Editor Margaux Anbouba asked me if I had any questions for Williams ahead of their interview, I blurted out my Red, White, & Royal Blue-induced wish to know what scent backdropped those heartfelt scenes, and boy, did she deliver. Williams shared the essentials of his scent routine, which includes a TikTok-viral staple and a gem in the fragrance world.

For a show with heavy kissing like Heated Rivalry, breath is understandably one of the actor’s top priorities. “After lunch, after snack, I tongue scrape, I brush and I use TheraBreath,” Williams tells us in conversation with Anbouba. And chances are you’ve probably seen an orange-capped bottle of TheraBreath mouthwash in the background of a TikToker’s GRWM or as a whole step in their beauty routine. Many users on the app praise it for leaving them with fresh breath, and it seems it passed the Heated Rivalry test too.

Deodorant is the next big step for Williams, and he finishes his routine with fragrance, but just “a little on the wrists and then just a little dab on the neck just because I like a little bit.” His signature scent? “Seasonally, if I want a really inoffensive scent, I like an Armani Code,” he shares. “If I want something where if I’m on set and maybe I’m not as close to people, I’ll use a Tom Ford cologne because they’re a little stronger.”

Sabrina Lantos