Perfume: It's personal
by Jeanne B.I don't have a signature scent yet. I'm not even sure if I really want one.
I'm a bit of a perfume junkie -- I'm sensitive to scent, sure, but I love good ones... and sometimes when I skip over the paper strip testers, I wind up sad for days if it's the wrong one. (Of course the wrong ones always last the longest.) And despite all of my little teeny glass tubes, so far I haven't found the number one right one yet.
For one thing, I'm not sure what aspect of my personality I want a perfume to represent. Think of the scene in Moulin Rouge where Satine asks what "type" she should play -- Wilting flower? Bright and bubbly? Or smouldering temptress? This is why a lot of us have day-at-the-office scents versus going-out-and-dressing-up scents -- the office version of you might not want to smoulder all over everyone while the evening you does. I don't know if I can nail myself down enough yet to figure out what part of myself I want to represent, especially on a day-to-day basis.
Plus, with all of the variety of perfumes out there, it gets more complicated. Am I sweet like sugar or sweet like honey? Spicy like pepper or cinnamon or sandalwood? Fruity like citrus or berries or melon? Floral like roses or floral like lilies or violets or orange blossoms? Aquatic -- yeah, I'm not aquatic, so we can check that one off the list. Do I want to smell like something delicious to eat or do I want to smell like a bouquet or do I want to smell like something else completely, like leather or smoke?
And then there's the whole scent-memory thing. Sure, I have several perfumes that I really really like, but I don't know if they're right enough to be my representation to everyone else. I'm talking "we broke up ten years ago but when I walk by someone on the street wearing her perfume I think of her" type of thing. We all have extremely strong scent memories, and so I'm not exactly sure what I want to have catalogued as "me" just yet. I'm totally open to accepting other people's scents as their signature scent without question, but so far I haven't been able to figure out what I want for myself.
So I'm looking -- sniffing, really -- around. I'm exploring and learning and reading and testing, and eventually I'll find something. Or maybe I won't -- there's nothing wrong with not having one, either! I do think I'm getting closer, though, and part of the fun is the thrill of the hunt, right?
Therefore, I'll be sharing the hunt on BeautyHacks -- from fancyfancy department store types to independent brands to body creams and lotions, I'm here to let you know what I find that smells good to me and on me... after all, perfume's personal!
Have you narrowed it down to your signature scent? What is it, if you have one? What would you look for in one, if you haven't found it yet? Or are you someone who just loves to explore? I'd love to hear (and smell!) what you've found!
BlogHer Conferences
- Home
- About Us
- BlogHer Community
- Conferences
- BlogHer Network
- Special Offers
- Contact Us
Follow us on Twitter:
@blogher @bloghersupport @blogherdeals
Become a Facebook Fan
© Copyright 2009 BlogHer | Terms of Service
Comments
personal is right
As someone who is highly allergic to ALL perfumes (and flowers and smoke etc.) I want to remind everyone that not only is the type of scent personal, but the scent itself should be personal. Meaning only you should be able to smell it. Please don't wear enough to leave a scent trail behind you, or add an extra spritz "just because". Also, if you are going to be in a crowded area or even an office, please be very sensitive to others olfactories and maybe even go without (radical I know). Your natural scent is your most personal scent and the most pleasant scent to everyone around you.
I definitely agree!
There's nothing worse than walking down the street and smelling someone a hundred feet ahead of you because you're walking through their scent cloud, or smelling someone's cologne after they've left the room.
I generally don't wear perfume in the office anyway, but especially not things I haven't tested before. If I don't know how strong it'll throw, I won't wear it to work. I'm sensitive to scent too, so I definitely try to be thoughtful of others when I use it.
--
Jeanne
- The Periodic Elements of Style: http://periodicstyle.blogspot.com
I TOTALLY have a signature scent
I found my signature scent several years ago -- Angel by Thierry Mugler. I swear, I started wearing it before it got all popular. But, it's totally me -- a little sweet and warm, with some definite spice. It makes me happy to smell it, every single time, and I like to think it has the same effect on my husband. The moment I smelled it (by accident -- wasn't looking for it, but I thought the bottle was cool, and, voila!), I knew it was mine.
Kristen
www.jeez-o-petes.com
Are we twins?
Ah, thank you thank you thank you for writing this!
I can't find my signature smell for the life of me!!
Actually I wore a particular fragrance for years but it does not exist yet. I wear things like vanilla body mist by Body Shop... too teenager for a 30 something, and not really a fragrance.
Sometimes I'll like a perfume, but after wearing it for a few days it would just make me sick. Or I'll like one that someone around me already wears, and since smells are personal, I can't wear it anymore. Or I'll fall in love with the advertising and atmosphere around the perfume (think Eva Green in Dior Midnight Poison ad) and will totally HATE the smell of it, such a disappointment...
Mine Changes
Right now I'm enjoying wearing Inner Grace from Philosophy. I use one small spritz on my chest under my clothes so that you can't smell it until you get right next to me. I'm frequently bothered by perfumes, but this one hasn't given me any problems. Last year I wore something entirely different from The Body Shop (I can't remember what...), and the year before it was a green tea scent. I get bored after a while, I guess.
I mix it up
I never stil with just one scent. I mix it up between two or three. but I do not pour the whole body on i only want someone to smell it if they are close to me.
D from Totally her No Celebrities, Just Reality.
I wear whatever my mood is that day!!
I don't have a personal scent either. I just wear whatever I think fits my mood that day. Flowery, fruity, musky ect. To comment further on Adreinnevh, I completely agree with her. My grandfather's friend Sara was at work and this girl came in with way too much of this certain perfume on that Sara was allergic to. She asked the girl politely not to wear it again. She didn;t listen and Sara ended up in the hospital with a lot of problems. It affected her so badly, that she has to walk with a cane now. It just attacked her body. So, use strong perfumes sparingly.
FaithM
http://www.modification.org/