Saved By the Smell, Part Deux

Growing up, I remember my mother’s singular scent quite well- Estee Lauder’s White Linen. She had the parfum spray, the powder in its shell shaped little puff box and the lotion, and she wore it most every day. My grandmother also had a signature scent (well, besides mothballs); she wore Emeraude, which to me is now the quintessential little old lady tea party smell.

I tried for a long time to find a signature scent- Beautiful, Vanille, Trish McEvoy No.9, Happy, and DNA all took turns at the top of my list. But what I found, and I’m not alone, is that I don’t want to wear the same scent every day. What I want to smell like depends on a lot of things- my mood, my outfit, where I’m going, what I’m doing. What I would wear to work varies quite a bit from what I wear on a night out on the town. My “squee” factor multiplied about a millionfold the first time I wandered into Sephora and found myself in fragrance heaven. Did you know that they have a book that lists all the notes in a perfume, and then lists other similar ones? For example, if you know that you like “Clean”, they will tell you the notes are grapefruit and litsea cubeba, and then give you suggestions for other fragrances. They have a similar service available on their website’s Fragrance Finder, which is a great way to start a list of perfumes to try. If you haven’t learned yet how to break down scents and figure out the notes you like, I highly suggest doing so, because it opens the doors up to a whole lot of other fragrances. While I don’t have one signature scent, for me I have a signature note- vanilla- and thanks to this website I found two of my current favorites, Burberry Brit and Dior Addict Eau Fraiche.

I have learned so much in my new hobby of accumulating perfumes. There are whole blogs devoted to the topic of fragrance reviews; boards such as Makeup Alley where you can find reviews and even swap with others; and high end retailers such as Beauty Habit, which carries hard to find lines such as Des Filles A La Vanille and People of the Labyrinths (doesn’t that make you want to try it just for the name?)

There are also small online etailers who craft perfumes and scented items by hand. My current favorite is Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, who specializes in “in formulating intriguing, compelling body and household blends with a dark, romantic Gothic tone.” Scents such as “The Brides of Dracula” are the norm here, all handcrafted by one incredibly talented perfumer. Another ConstantChatter favorite is Bathed and Infused, which has something to satisfy every craving for those less Goth-minded and more into scents named “Buttered Popcorn” and “Milk and Cookies.” They also have a line of ‘Designer Inspired’ (wink wink) perfumes that are similar in note to some famous brand name scents. Bathed and Infused’s products are available in many delectable forms from lotions to bath bombs…and with the holidays right around the corner, you’re bound to find something for everyone (but mostly for you!)

Happy sniffing!

Jesvet