A quick announcement: the next splitmeet will be on Saturday, September 20. If you're curious, you can see the last one here and the follow-up here. The next swapmeet will be October 18.
Update: next Saturday, 13 September, we'll have a "pre-splitmeet" poll...we'll revisit the rules, and people can talk about the fragrances they might like to split.
1. What's your fragrance today? If you're participating in the signature scent challenge, did you make it to day 2?
2. Did you ever have a signature scent, that is, one fragrance that you basically wore all the time? What was it, or if more than one, what were they?
3. If you had to pick one single fragrance that you think does an excellent job of reflecting who you are as a person, what would it be?
As always, answer as many or as few as you like.
Note: top image is In The Garden of Eden [flipped & doubled] by mysza at flickr; some rights reserved.
1. OK, I just put on more Cuir de Lancome — but I’m going on a run in a bit and then will shower and probably put on something else. I think I can cheat my way through this by wearing it as one of my two scents each day and still getting to wear something else.
2. Since junior high, I’ve always had at least 2-3 scents at a time, but there were definitely periods where I had a clear favorite. I loved L’Eau d’Issey for a while in high school (blech!). For part of college my “signature scent” was Gucci Rush. Still own a bottle but basically never wear it.
3. I have never thought about whether or not CdL reflects me as a person, but maybe it does? A bit intimidating at first, but a softie on the inside? Maybe.
Looking back, I am not sure that any of my past signature scents were really good reflections of me…more like aspirational wear, LOL…
Spray on perfume for the job you want, not the job you have!
Exactly!
I’m up to 3 days in a row, started my Tribute To Joan by wearing Joy since Thursday. Still loving it. Since losing both Robin Williams and Joan Rivers, I am committing to trying to see humor in something everyday. I used to think that humorless people were…why are they here? But then I realized, it’s the humorless people that make it so much fun to poke fun at them. There’s nothing more fun than toying with a truly humorless person. They’re fabulous straight men. My mom was a lot like Joan. Said crazy things. She once asked me, when I was still a virgin, why I would possibly ever want to have sex with a man when their genitals looked like turkey waddles. (you maybe can’t print that, but it’s so Joan-like.) That image haunted me for a long time. Kind of skews the whole Thanksgiving imagery thing…
OK, so for 2 years I only wore Infini, by Caron. LOVED it. One of the single best presents ever, for Xmas, when I was 14. I felt so adult, so beautiful. Then…it just lost its beauty. Reformulation, maybe.
I’d have to say Beloved, by Amouage. It’s old school. Grand and beautiful, yet feminine and a bit powdery. (but that’s not me. I’m crude and mannish.) Reminds me of the easterners who moved to the west, and bought the big ranches, the people I grew up around. Wealthy widows, often crazy, but they had bathrooms filled with fantastic smelling things. A world far away and exotic and bizarre here in a small mining town.
Oh my goodness! That is an amazing coincidence! I just posted my comment which crossed with yours ….. what are the odds of two Infini fans mentioning it within seconds??!! I agree, it is now not the same – too much vetiver and a harsh sandalwood have made it lose is rosy richness.
I also agree with you about humour. It wasn’t till I grew up that I realised whty a GSOH was so important to people when searching for a partner – with humour you can face up to the world!
Yes, thank you for pointing out the difference in Infini. I swear I can remember that visceral feeling I had, and what it smelled like, in 1974. It was heavenly. And even with a so-called vintage bottle I have, it’s just not working. It smells vaguely of the old Infini, but not enough, at all. I tried it again just a week ago, and it was deflating. I give up. I’ve moved on.
I can’t imagine getting through touch times without humor. I come from a long line of jokes-at-funerals type smart-asses with my cute, elderly, fluffy looking mother as my lifelong mentor. You should be at one of our family reunions. We’re not malicious but absolutely nothing is sacred and all of us have constantly to edit in public. I must bite my tongue ten times a day or more. The 14 year old boy who lives in my head is constantly disappointed by my restraint with unintentionally suggestive comments.
Glad you’re honoring Joan. I can’t do Joy, it hates me, but I join you in spirit.
That’s just it. It seems like it’s mean humor, but it isn’t, really. My mom was like that. At the essence, we all have to poke fun at ourselves, so when you realize that, the humor ceases to be mean–it’s just pointing out we’re all human. But we need people like Donald Trump around to be the butt of jokes. Does he know how ridiculous he is? Thank god for his HAIR!!
And the orange makeup. He must do it on purpose.
One of my absolute favorite memories is of my then-eleven year old son at the dinner table, with me doubled over laughing. His arm was across his eyes, shoulders shaking, and he was gasping for breath. When he finally raised his tear-stained face (tears of laughter), he said, “Mom. That. Is. So. Mean… but it is soooooo funny!”
As my mom sometimes says, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, come sit by me.” 🙂
Beloved is a great choice!
Joan loved Joy? Makes total sense. Thank you for pointing this out,
I´ll be wearing the last drops from my bottle tonight, to pay her an hommage. Can´t believe she is gone. Who will make fun of Gwyneth Paltrow´s love for kale now?
I didn’t know she made fun of Paltrow, fair enough though I do like kale myself.
I’ve only seen Joan in her interviews on Graham Norton’s shows. The one with the 2 Top Gear boys is hilarious, she really got on well with The Clarkson.
I made pasta with kale and blue cheese yesterday!
Great tribute, mough! I’m also feeling sad about Robin Williams and Joan Rivers.
The National Portrait Gallery is showing a 1979 portrait of Robin by Michael Dressler as a tribute. Robin is holding a portable TV and both he and the smaller Robin on the screen are making funny faces. Just looking at him always made me feel happy, and it’s heartbreaking to see photos like that now and realize how profoundly unhappy he was behind the smiles.
I think Joan would approve of Beloved, too – it’s in the same realm as Joy.
The Connect The Dots of Beloved, to me, are that Beloved was made especially to evoke the typical buyer at Bergdorf Goodman. And Joan was a staple there; I think they put up a photo of her after her death. I read an essay by someone from BG who talked about her filming the Miss Piggy scene in BG. And the writer referenced her documentary, and one sad scene in particular, when the make-up artist is putting on Joan’s make up and she says “No man ever, ever told me I was beautiful.” That really bummed me out. I remember that line in the movie. I think death allows us to feel all those positive feelings we didn’t feel we deserve while living. That’s my idea of heaven.
I like your idea!
It’s got muggy again here in the UK so I am wearing my last drop of Annick Goutal’s Eau de Camille (but hooray, I have another bottle squirrelled away, thank goodness!).
I suppose I have had two signature scents in my life – I wore them almost constantly for a few years and still return to them from time to time.
The first was Caron’s Infini; people would follow me to ask me what it was and I always felt good wearing it so I guess it must have suited me.
The second was – please don’t kick me out of the perfumista club! – CK’s Eternity. For some reason, even though I didn’t wear this until after we had been married for several years, my husband always associates this with me so I have a sentimental attachment to it. I still do like its spicy floralness and have backup bottles of the pre-reform version.
But I am a perfume tart at heart and I love so many and varied fragrances depending on my mood, the weather etc. Some loves fade, never to be worn again, while others suddenly make me yearn to wear them again. Whilst others I haven’t liked have grown on me and become regulars! Oh, I am so fickle.
It is incredibly humid here today too.
And ha, Eternity would hardly get you kicked out of the club.
Many of the gals wore Eternity when I went to college, so the smell of it reminds me of my freshman summer term and everyone running around the dorm and getting ready to go to some party. Still in the era and big hair, big bangs, big perms, Eternity will forever symbolize that to me. (I was drifting around in my Tea Rose.)
My first roommate at an overnight camp wore Eternity, and it seemed so utterly sophisticated and beautiful at the time. I still enjoy a whiff of it now and again! I will forever associate it with the lovely Stacy, whose name plus the scent cements this as the epitome of the mid nineties!
1. I’m on day 2 of Bvlgari Black. Last night it was a super cozy salt vanilla tea smell in the dry down, but today it smells like the creasote aroma of dyed fabric from India. Still, I’m eyeing a big bottle on line because the prices are so good and it’s such a strange little rubber duck puck. I know there are a few others on the Black wagon: Sweetgrass and Gi? How’s it going?
2. When I was in high school I wore full strength “Ciara” because the lady with a glass eye that was always crossed who I babysat for wore it and I thought it was super glam.
3. I guess that would be my “top 5” of the moment: Rose Anonyme, L’air de Rien, ELDO Faun, vintage 19 perfume, and Nuits d’Hadrian.
Sajini, I am so jealous of your babysitter. She sounds like a baller.
Yeah she was awesome. Romanian, Jewish about 5 feet tall, she wore lots of eye makeup and jumpsuits made out of some kind of slinky poly fabric. She and her husband used to go out to a disco called “hot jazz” when I was babysitting their kids. And she always reeked of Ciara.
Man, I want to go, NOW, to a place called Hot Jazz. Doesn’t that sound like a BLAST? Sweating to Donna Summer. Disco balls. All of it.
haha you are so funny. Going to “hot jazz” was my almost complete idea of what I would get to do when I grew up.
I’m on day 2 of Black too, and interestingly enough, I think my experience might be exactly the opposite of yours. Black always makes me think of auto parts but seems somewhat less creosote-y today than yesterday. I was out in the heat earlier and most of it has faded
hmmm how interesting. It does seem to calm down on me after wearing for a little while and that screaming vat dyed and wrapped in the India Times sari smell does mellow a bit with time. Your description of auto parts is very funny. My husband thinks it smells like the “best bicycle shop in the world”.
Yes. Bicycle tires… or new Keds sneakers.
I’m coming around a bit more to BB. Recently I “discovered” the Thierry Mugler Angel Essence Absolue. One of the things I realized about it very quickly is that it owes *a lot* of it’s composition to Bulgari Black – that burnt anisey vanilla, nearly plastic, accord is definitely present.
I love this! Look at that! Two of my favorite perfumes mentioned in the same sentence! I am on my second bottle of Bvlgari Black, it does not stay on my skin for very long so I frequently layer it to extend the base. I like it with Pi or Chergui or with Bvlgari Au The Rouge. I think Alien Absolue is divine but so powerful, my little bottle will last the rest of my lifetime. Dear Sajini, Sweetgrass and AnnS I appreciate and enjoy your comments so much!
For this morning, it felt perfect for the event; a go-carting work event and it blended great with the smell of fuel and sunshine. At least I thought it was great…til my boyfriend came home and said “WHAT IS THAT SMELL”. A little disclaimer is that he has the nose of a bloodhound; all my perfumes he can smell from 3 rooms away but usually he just says “I smell vanilla” (this is hysterical to me since I tend towards chypres and florals)
So one of the times I actually wear something with a vanilla note, and it smells like bad garbage to him. I don’t get it. I’m curious if I’ll get the same reaction tomorrow 🙂
haha! Keep us posted!
My mom is the bloodhound in the family. I sprayed on one tiny spritz of By Kilian Sacred Wood and within 1 minute, 3 stories away, I heard a howl of protest of why are you killing me with your perfumes.
Hahaha, hajusuuri. Now why did I hear your mother yelling that in Wolkowitz’s mother’s voice?
BB is something out of this world… Imagine a edp of this thing, more intense and creamy. I wonder why Bvlgari hasn’t milk this cow enough. It’s about to happen though and I hope they don’t ruin it with oud lol.
An EDP would be great! But yes, I can just see them oudifying it and messing it all up. After the last Omnia I don’t have much confidence.
I think an edp of Black with a little more spicy vanilla and a little less gimp suit would be fabulous.
Yeah – Alien Essence Absolue *is* really powerful. On the one hand, I’m “concerned it is limited edition, so I think I should buy a small backup (thank god for the 1 oz size). On the other, I think, this thing will last through the next ice-age. !!!
I suppose you’re talking about Alien Essence Absolute 🙁 or is there a new version for the Angel?
1. I’m not wearing any scent at the moment, but I’m going to wear Afternoon of a Faun all day today. The weather cooled down overnight and now it feels like a crisp fall day.
2. I’ve always had a few scents in rotation. In middle and through most of high school I wore Ralph Lauren Romance and then Ralph Lauren Glamour. Throughout most of college, I wore La Chasse Aux Papillon and towards the end I think Balenciaga Paris was my signature. I had others in the mix but these were the ones I wore most often.
3. I think that even though people think it can be boring, Balenciaga Paris is still my signature, even though I don’t wear it nearly as often as I used to. It may not necessarily describe me, but I wish it did! It’s subtle, but it’s elegant and refined, with a good dose of violet, which is one of my favorite notes in perfumery.
I would take BP as my signature!
1. Right now I smell very strongly of sunscreen as we will be working outside and I’ve applied much more than usual (which is a lot). I will be spraying some Dev 1 ASAP.
2. Well, in middle school I wore Aspen for women quite a lot because I managed to sneak that one by the censors at the grocery checkout. My parents would have frowned upon my wasting cash on perfume. I did have Sweet Honesty in elementary school, which was probably a gift, but wasn’t allowed to wear it often. In college I wore 212 for quite a while when it first came out until everyone else started to wear it. When I sniff the dregs of my old bottle it still smells like fun and bad decisions.
3. Maybe O de Lancôme. Not particularly fun and trendy but a comfortable old standby that suits casual occasions.
I remember Aspen…that was a good one.
“fun and bad decisions” – excellently put. That’s the problem I have with all the frags I was wearing during grad school! I almost block them out: Dune & Boucheron especially. Maybe I should be grateful – b/c I was distracted by them, I wasn’t wearing my Coco so much. I’ve managed to hang on to Coco for 2 decades. I respect both Dune & Boucheron but it is very hard for me to wear them.
Gasp! I LOVED Aspen! and nobody seems to remember it now. I managed to snag a still-in-box bottle via eBay but it’s not really wearable. That was my First Real Job perfume.
O de Lancôme sounds lovely, I do not believe I have ever had the pleasure of smelling it. I wore Dev 1 again today but have been adding little dabs of 2, 3 and 4 when the spirit moves me, inspired by you. Dev 2 has the most wonderful boozy, peaty opening, quite interesting. My love for masculines is no secret, I still occasionally wear Aspen for men!
O de Lancôme has a lot uncommon with Eau Sauvage.
I remember liking Aspen for men and since they’re still making it I should probably hunt some up.
I enjoyed Dev 1 on my tummy and Dev 4 on a wrist and my back today. I was too sweaty to put it anywhere else.
1. I’m in Le Labo Vetiver 46, for the second day; I didn’t get a chance to comment here yesterday, but I decided to participate anyway. I picked it because it’s one I love but I’ve been ‘stingy’ with – I can’t buy it anywhere near me, my bottle is from a UK vacation.
2. I wore Ô de Lancôme exclusively in high school and into college. Girls at my high school all seemed to smell like Body Shop vanilla or dewberry oil, so I thought of myself as sophisticated in comparison. I moved on to Eau Dynamisante for a while later in college. I still wear both sometimes, especially in summer.
3. Something that seems quiet, but is more interesting and complex than it seemed at first? I don’t know what that would be off the top of my head.
Hey, you were sophisticated in comparison! Oddly, I think I wore more sophisticated scents in middle school & high school than I did in college.
Body Shop Dewberry! I haven’t thought about that in years… I had several friends in the late 90s who absolutely stank of the stuff. And every Body Shop mall store must have pumped it into their ventilation system by the gallon… you couldn’t get within fifty feet of the place without the insides of your sinuses crinkling.
I think that was the beginning of my intense dislike for fruity-florals.
My scent of the day is Sonoma Scent Studio Sienna Musk, my very favorite from Laurie Erickson.
I missed the poll yesterday so I’m not wearing this perfume second day in a row.
Yes, I consider Prada Amber Pour Homme to be my signature scent. In the past it used to be the only perfume I had and I wore it everyday. I don’t wear it that often anymore now that I have 20 perfumes in my collection but it’s still not neglected.
I would like to try that one again. Had a small sample years ago and still remember that it reminded me of birch beer.
I’ve worn the Prada “Ambre” for women and it smells very good. I’ve heard that the men’s smells even better!
1. I’m about to spray on No. 5 edt. It’s been too hot and humid to wear it (IMO) but it’s cooler today…and I miss wearing it.
2. In college I wore Calandre almost exclusively. I also had a small atomizer of No. 22 but I don’t remember what formulation it was. Clearly I ❤️ aldehydes.
3. I could say No. 5 because even in clothing choice I like the classics. But because it’s summer I’ll say Nuit de Tubereuse. It barely smells of tuberose, so you can’t judge it by its name. It’s full of contrasting elements, such as sweetness vs dankness. It could smell off putting to some people while others love it. It’s changeable depending on the weather and amount of application. It’s non linear, existing within its own temporal logic.
I wish I’d had the courage to wear No 5 earlier. I got a bottle as a present when I was about 26 from a well meaning relative who’d heard I wore Chanel. (Not realizing it was Coco.) I kind of liked it, realized it was ‘important” and was really trying. But one day I wore it to classes and a gal I worked with at the library said: you smell like my mom. So that did it for me. I never wore it again. The only good part of this is that it found a home with another friend of mine who’s grandmother wore it , so it had very happy connotations for her. But now, I wish I had kept the bottle. (Ditto with a bottle of Rive Gauche I unloaded also during this time. It seems like my mid 20s were a time for making not so good fragrance decisoins!)
Oh yes, Ann, those connotations can be very influential.
Back then I used up all my perfume, seeing as how I only had two bottles! Still, I’d love to smell that version of No. 22 again.
Calandre and Nuit de Tubereuses – both are just wonderful and fully demonstrate how flowers (rose and tuberose) can smell like something entirely new.
Hello fume friends!
Although not a signature scent I’m on day two of Amber Oud by PdN. I really like it but for the second day in a row I’m having headaches from it. I can’t tell if it’s stress in my life or something in the scent…the lavender?
I also get headaches with Ninfeo Mio which is strong lavender to my nose.
Is there something about lavender that causes one to have headaches?
2. For the longest time I wore Tresor… That was my signature scent although I wouldn’t go near the stuff today. Obsession was a signature as well a long, long time ago…
3. Good question! I think those scents that have a combo of floral and leather – feminine/romantic & tough/a little rough around the edges 😉
Lavender gives me enormous stonking headaches. No matter the source – fragrance, bath salts, essential oil, the flowers themselves. HUGE painful headaches. There are a few scents I love that have lavender in them, so it might be a matter of how MUCH lavender
I think you’re right. Spraying with abandon the Ninfeo Mio is out of the question, but I’ve found little dabs are doable.
So far little dabs of the Amber Oud are still causing head issues.
Thks for chiming in 😉
Well, it might *not* be the lavender. But it could be. I hope you can pin it down.
1. Yes, I am in day 2 of No 19. And it remains a good choice – the weather is awfully hot! We’ll see how it goes tomorrow.
2. Yes. I had what I would consider signature fragrances for a number of years. Summer would have been PW Tea Rose; Fall/Winter would be Chanel Coco, either edt or edp. Then I would add in another fav summer which is the Caswell & Massey Elixir of Love #1, which I still think is an outstanding fragrance, but is hard for me to wear for long past history emotional reasons. I do still have a bottle and the dusting powder, b/c I am sucker for blue glass. I also block out the fact that I wore Dune for many years b/c it was during the same time period (mid 90s) when my personal life was a painful shambles. But that is ancient history now!
3. Fragrance that really reflects me? I would have to pick my still reigning HG, Chamade, for a lot of reasons that I don’t want to bore everyone. But it’s complex, smells great, classic, has a lot of things going on and smells good to the end. The other would have to be my default b/c it was my aspriational fragrance when I was young, and we still must aspire: Coco.
Oh my gosh I used to love Elixir of Love!
Chamade is lovely and one that I return to when I want comfort and confidence.
I’m wearing Ambre Sultan again. Since it’s not so humid today I managed to get more out of the top notes on my skin than yesterday, which mostly smelled like a bouquet of cloves and amber on me.
I never had a signature scent before and thought I’d try to find one, but I sorta skipped that phase quickly when I realized I wanted to try ALL the scents. When I was little I had Exclamation! by Coty, Incognito and Navy by Dana, and Anais Anais by Cacharel among a few other drug store ones I can’t remember anymore. Back then Obsession smelled dangerous to me and my mother only wore Beautiful by Estee Lauder.
I don’t think I’ve found a fragrance that I can associate as “me” just yet. I do like woodsy, balsamic, incense sort of fragrances, but I still think I’m looking and might be for a very long time.
Exclamation! Wow, that brings back some memories!! I think I wore that at 19 or 20 while sneaking into clubs with my older friends!
It’s not the destination, but rather the journey that counts, right?
1. On day 2 of CdG Avignon and still enjoying every minute. There’s no sourness even in the extreme drydown, and I find that I’m focusing more on untangling the notes (myrrh & frankincense in the top, that thread of dry chamomile) and appreciating the arc of the structure because I’m not hurrying to dab on a sample of something different.
2. Back in my pre-perfumista days, I wore two fragrances – Clinique Happy and Vent Vert in the bottle with the polka-dot cap (the 3rd reformulation, I think). Got lots of compliments on both, but I don’t regret having moved on and widened my olfactory horizons!
The weather here is turning much cooler (huge thunderstorm last night), so I’ll be finding out if Avignon holds up in lower temps.
I like Avignon in cold 🙂
1. I was able to wear the same fragrance again today. My SOTD is BlackBerry and Bay by Jo Malone.
2. I had several signature scents back in the day. Lol! Giorgio was one I wore often. Lauren was another. Beautiful was another for me and my mom.
3. For the last 10 years, my signature scent has been Nectarine Blossom and Honey by Jo Malone. It is a happy, fruity scent. I am typically a happy person, so it fits my personality. I love it.
Have you tried the new Jo Malone yet?
My mom used to wear Lauren. It always seemed so elegant! I haven’t smelled it in a long time.
1. Guerlain AA Lys Soleia again today, still loving it even if I think I am getting a little sick of its sunny feeling, I find out that the ylang ylang actually warms my skin and I also noticed the oiliness of that note on it.
2. My most repurchase perfume is Kenzo Amour. I wore it during all my high school years and also a little bit after that. I was even feeling caught by forced by this scent because people love it so much on me that I didn’t dare change it (apparently, my skin and my mum’s washing products made it smells really good because I was told that it doesn’t smell the same at all on other people). Once, I lost my scarf and a boy I didn’t know found it and gave it back to me because he recognized my smell(of course, I fell in love with him).
3. It has to be Fille en Aiguilles by Serge Lutens. No doubt, it just screams my name. It’s not even that it is the scent which my ego wants to look like, it is just the perfume for me.
(notabene: excuse my english –‘, I’m from France)
I would fall in love with a boy who brought me my lost scarf because it smelled like me! Thank you for that lovely image this morning!
Ditto, great story!
Me three! LOL 😉
The scarf thing is quite possibly the most romantic thing ever! I would be utterly smitten with that boy too.
Incidentally, it also reminds me of a recent Land Rover commercial (that I almost thought could be repurposed as a perfume commercial) where a man finds a woman’s scarf and gets a dog to sniff it and lead him to her so he can give it back.
Also, Fille en Aiguilles is great stuff. I have had samples of it and now want a bottle.
Oh my! I would have fallen in love with that boy also. That’s the stuff of love stories!
Great story! What a wonderful fragrance romance. And your english is great too.
1) Wearing Narcisco Rodriguez musc oil for her with a touch of SL’s Borneo on top.
2) the original Fendi, wore it all through high school and college.
3) Fendi will always be my signature scent.
I was lucky enough to find a bottle of Fendi in a moving sale a couple years ago. I love it!
Elisa – lucky you! I have a few backup bottles, just in case.
nr 1 must smell amazing!
Fendi was my scent all through the 80s – there’s really nothing like it, is there?
Fendi is amazing and was worn by a dear friend who died much too young. I cannot smell it without thinking of her.
Stinker_Kit, my friends in college all knew I was up and ready for class when they smelled Fendi in the hallway…
You picked a real pillar fragrance! Fendi is in it’s own universe! I always wanted to get there, but it was just too rich for me.
Continuing my weekend sample-fest, my pre-shower scents are AG Musc Nomade (musty) and Leslie Blogett Bare Skin (quite nice). “Blodgett” is a delightfully un-perfumista name, I find, more like a medieval weapon: “Baron Ulrich was felled in battle by a blodgett”.
My former signature scents, or more precisely the only scents I wore, were Dioressimo and Cristalle. Both have since broken my heart…
Hey, we shared 2 signature scents.
1) Day 2 of Une Rose de Kandahar. Still love it, will always love it. I’m a lifer like that, very loyal. This perfume has a great duality and I would happily wear it forever.
2) My signature scent, for a very long time, was VS Vanilla Lace body products. They have removed from the shelves several times over the years and its not the same now. There must have been issues with the formulation. I know when I used to wear it, it would stain my bras. One time while working, I was talking to one of the physicians and he gabbed my arm, bent down to it, flipped it over, and was very intently perusing my hand and forearm, which made me a little uncomfortable as you can imagine! Then he asked me if I ate a “lot of carrots” because it looked like I might have carotenemia!! Nope, just courtesy of VS Vanilla Lace lotion lol! I didn’t care though- I loved that scent before they messed with it.
3) I don’t think I could pick just one- I am multifaceted 😉
Have sweet smelling weekend- I am looking forward to reading the responses this evening to who is still sticking with the challenge.
Multifaceted! Brilliant word. I am stealing it!
No need to steal- I am happy to share =)
SOTD Santa Maria Novella Patchouly. I have a sample that I’ve dabbed from only before going to bed, so today I thought I’d try it during waking hours.
Rive Gauche was the first “real” fragrance I bought – at age 20 (1977) when I worked at a department store that summer. I liked the blue and black bottle and it came with an envelope bag – and I needed a purse. I suppose I wore it until I used it up, but I’m not sure it was a real signature for me.
The more likely first signature scent was Coriandre – because I liked the malachite effect on the cap and the box. I bought it at Eatons in TO and so no one I knew wore it. A couple years later, I bought Quartz -again at Eatons in TO. Loved the name and the idea – that a scent could be named for a mineral.
But, I think my real signature scent was Calyx. Wore it from the beginning. Fruity, citrus-y, and humorous – like me 😉 My heart broke when it was reformulated.
I miss “old” Calyx too. The new one is too fresh.
the original always reminded me of Life Savers Fancy Fruits – in a good way…
You’ve named some of my favourites!
Yes, I am sad that Calyx and Rive Gauche are no longer the same
I have a sad tale to tell about RG – I was very young when I wore it and a handsome young accountant who had come to my company to audit the books would tell me how lovely I smelt every morning. Only after he had moved on did everyone tell me that he fancied me – we were both just too shy to say anything!
When I was doing study abroad and traveling in France, I smelled this woman who just smelled amazing. Rive Gauche was prominently around and so I kind of realized that’s what she smelled like. I was just so impressed with how sophisticated she smelled, that I bought a bottle for myself while I was still travelling. Unfortunately for me, once I came stateside and resumed my normal quasi frumpy grad school existence, RG just seemed to much to wear, and I did often struggle with that plasticky note. I am forever saddened by remembering the day I put it in the “salvation army” donation bag. I wish that I still had it, and had to opportunity to understand it better now that I am older. Just with the No 5 (from the comment above), I just wasn’t mentally ready to assume the elegance I aspired to.
Day 3 of Guerlain Cuir Beluga and I could probably keep wearing it for a few more days before my other ‘fumes fume due to neglect.
I got caught in the middle of a Union pride parade / protest today . Crossing from 6th Ave to 5th took 15 minutes as the street and the sidewalk were clogged by union members and their families. Most of the union members had biceps bigger than a basketball so a few of them around already feels confining…just imagine having 10x that number “lining” the sidewalk!
Up until a couple of years ago I did have a signature scent that I wore exclusively – Jil Sander No. 4. Then it became hard to find, and in trying to find a replacement scent I fell (hard!) down the rabbit hole, and now I can’t even imagine restricting myself to a single perfume family, let alone a sole scent. Turns out I’m accidentally participating in the weekend challenge, though – am on vacation and only brought one decant with me. My newest crush, Iris Nobile edp. It’s heavenly on me, and just right for the northern Oregon coast in September. Now that I’ve stumbled across the challenge I’ll pay more attention to its development (instead of just obsessively sniffing my wrists and sighing). 🙂
Last evening it was 94 degrees and this afternoon it is 60, so I’m in the mood for fall fragrance! Today I’m wearing Kenzo Jungle Elephant, a kitchen sink perfume if there ever was. Coco was my signature scent for years and I still love it. Before the rabbit hole I loved perfume but usually had just a couple bottles at a time at the most. In high school I wore Chanel 19, early 80s brought Pierre Cardin for women, in the late 90s it was Pleasures, of all things.
Haven’t put on scent yet today, but plan to continue Musc Botanique. I reapplied it three times yesterday. That is unusual for me. It does last, but it’s subtle. If I want more projection, I have to reapply. I’ll see how I feel about it over the weekend.
As for a signature scent, I’ve always had more than one scent at hand. Whether I was poaching from my mother’s perfumes to supplement mine, or cadging samples as a kid, I was always smelling new things. I can think of Love’s Baby Soft as a girl, that I wore for several years. In high school and college, I wore Dune, EL’s Tuscany per Donna and Knowing. When Bvlgari Black came out in the late 90s, I remember wearing that all the time. I don’t think any family member or friend would think of a signature fragrance for me, though, because I’ve worn so many.
As for what would represent me? No idea. I really love L’air de Rien. I think if you made me pick one fragrance, and only one for a year, that would be it. That’s the only fragrance that for which I have a backup bottle. Strangely, though, Chanel No. 5 gets more time on my skin, as my go-to comfort scent, so that would also be a good choice.
I’m glad none of us have to settle on one. We can keep exploring together. Fragrant blessings! 😀
Gosh, you just reminded me that I wore Knowing a bit in college and how much I liked it! I got a little mini bottle as a gift from a friend’s mom. I haven’t worn it since. It just radiated smart elegance.
I’m still pre-shower: Saturday mornings are for relaxing and chores. I’ve been “organizing” my perfume decants and samples the past few days. I’m going to need a bigger boat….err…. box.
1. Anyway, I spent time sampling this morning (is that cheating?) between coffee and chores. I’ve got Iris Silver Mist on one arm and a dab of Iris Nobile EDT on the other. Both are FBW, I think, so they are on the list. Post shower, I’ll move onto day 2 of Fate. I spritzed Fate last night at bedtime, too. Yum!
2. I have been a serial signature monoga-scentist until I realized (after spending some time discovering NST) that it was OK to have and wear more than one scent. Some of my signatures over the years include: OdlR Ruffles (sadly discontinued), Liz Claiborne Realities (way back before it was reformulated), Obsession, CKBe (another sad reform), and Amazing Grace. I’ve gone thru multiple bottles (serially) of each before tiring of them and moving on. I still like all of these but now I’ve more interesting things to wear. Except for Ruffles. I’d love a big bottle like I had back in the day.
3. I don’t know if there’s a single scent that captures me: something cool and green and smart like #19? Complex but warm like Fate? Fun and Fresh and a little bit sexy like Infanta en Fleur? Feminine and floral like Dia or Iris Poudre? Or maybe something totally wackadoodle like Dzing? Perhaps Ruffles comes closest: I’d wear it again as a signature if I could find enough of it: a little green and smart, a little warm and approachable, a bit powdery, certainly floral and clearly feminine, and (hopefully) memorable.
Have you tried AG Heure Exquise? It might just tick most of the boxes you mention in #3, except maybe the wackadoodle one. 🙂
Heure Exquise is wonderful – I swapped for a bottle in the last swap meet (thankyou!) and wear it often. Huere Exquisite, Silences, #19, Infusion d’Iris, #19 Poudre…. all similar and all fantastic. I could very easily wear one of these as a signature…
Green, warm and powdery – the one I see missing from your list of “sisters” above, is RL Safari. It is really outstanding. A little further out into “oriental” land for green is the Ormonde Jayne Woman. Have you ever tried that? It is definitely green and rich fuzzy amber with lots of herbs and florals. It’s always hoving on my to buy list. Or even Amouage Beloved, which is also very similar to those you list.
It looks like I really should track down some RL Safari, then. Never tried it. I have, however, tried Ormond Jayne Woman. Loved loved loved the opening and swooned a bit on first try. But something in the base gets on my nerves. It’s also a bit much in the TX heat.
Woman is a bit tenacious. I can only wear very small amounts in cooler weather. That’s why I’ve never took a chance on a full bottle. I think my samll sample will last me many years! It does get amplified in the drydown, which is unusual.
Hi, aromatic amig@s!
!. I’m wearing Putain des Palaces today. It was a bit much early this morning, but now it’s evening and it’s lovely
2 Back in the powerhouse 80s, Iused to wear Rive Gauche during the day and Opium in the evenings .
3. Well, I don’t think I should say that PdP represents me!!! Perhaps something like Cuir Ottoman, which seems quite tough at the beginning but is soft and sweet underneath.
I’ve just noticed I’ve said almost the same as Elisa for number 3…I hadn’t read it before. Well, great minds…
How funny! I need to try Cuir Ottoman I guess.
I think you would like it. The leather is soft, but then it becomes more of an amber scent – if I remember correctly, you tend to like amber.
I get a lot of vanilla in the dry-down too.
Yes, it’s a sweet vanilla-type amber.
Yes, I do, I will look for a sample.
1. Fragrance of the Day is still Bvlgari Pour Femme. Just as lovely as it was yesterday.
2. My signature fragrances were Anaïs Anaïs and Paris YSL ( a little later), through most of my university years. I went through a L’Eau d’Issey period in the 90’s. I would, especially when I started working, have more than one fragrance. I remember Dune, Trésor, Nina, Venezia, Roma, Parfum d’Eté and Sunflowers. Before I became happily addicted to perfume and the blogs I already had around 6 fragrances to choose from. Always including Paris.
3. I don’t know. My tastes vary quite a lot, and I don’t think there is just one fragrance that is me.
Bvlgari Pour Femme is lovely. I think it has a mimosa note, right? I wore it heavily in the early 90s, until a coworker co-opted it as her signature. It’s soft and very versatile.
My best friend in high school wore YSL Paris, so that was off limits to me, but it is also beautiful. I had Anais Anais at the time, and remember enjoying that as well. You have an elegantly feminine fragrance history, which suits your moniker. Thanks for helping me walk down memory lane 🙂 Be well.
Thanks for that wish, it is very kind of you to say so!
Pour Femme has a mimosa note though I don’t think it is officially listed.
Elegance is something I aspire to, but am too absent minded to achieve.
I always wanted a bottle of Paris when I was younger, but I never quite got there. I haven’t smelled it in a very long time. I wonder if it has changed much? You reminded me that I had a bottle of Venezia that I totally forgot about. This post is general has become a walk down memory lane. I think I blocked out most of 1991 through 1996!!
Paris has thinned down a lot. It’s not as plush or as cheerful as it used to be. March of the Posse did quite a nice comparison of the old and new versions.
http://perfumeposse.com/2009/02/15/well-always-have-paris/
Fortunately I’m well stocked up with older Paris.
Venezia I liked, but I always liked Roma a little better.
Reading what everyone was wearing is indeed great fun.
Thanks for the tip about the review. And yes, it is quite fun to read everyone’s perfume memories.
As a teen I wore Moschino, Coco and Romeo Gigli among some others (Trussardi, Lauren…) with Moschino being my favorite. I had 2 real signiture scents that were first Halston for many years (it was long completely out of fashion) and later Cristalle EDP and in the end EDT.
Cristalle EDT would also be the fragrance that captures me best together with Osmanthe Yunnan. Some Eau d’Hermes and Opium (vintage) also swirl around.
I love Osmanthe Yunnan…
I love Halston! Still chasing the Parfum strength on eBay!
I was never so lucky to try the parfum. I wish they would bring back the original with quality ingredients…
Stinker_Kit, I found a bottle at TJ Maxx, but it smelled so faint. Definitely try for vintage. Loved Halston.
1. Paestum Rose–yes, I made it to day 2! Still enjoying it.
2. For years I’d have one scent at a time but I wasn’t very adventurous, mostly department store things. For a long time it was EL White Linen and for a while Knowing. Both are fun to revisit but I never wear them now.
3. This will change depending when you ask me, and possibly more aspirational than realistic, but maybe Bois des Iles?
I just received some vintage Knowing and find it sublime. My boss even commented on how classy smelling it was!
Bois des Iles is a very good choice!!!!
1. Day 2 of Bulgari Black! I was out in the heat earlier so it had mostly faded, but I just reapplied, now layered with Trader Joe’s Coconut body butter (h/t to Elisa). They layer really nicely together, incidentally. The body butter brings out the vanilla tea aspect and softens the “auto parts store” note. Also, just after having been outside, I noticed a slight wintergreenish nuance I had never noticed before.
2. In my pre-fumie days I wore Bath & Body Works Japanese Cherry Blossom.
3. Oh man I don’t know…I have several that feel pretty “me”: Rossy de Palma, Shalimar Ode a la Vanille, Chanel No.19, and Mitsouko would be my top 4 I guess
Glad you got/like the body butter!
Also Rossy de Palma is one of my top 3 “most me” frags too.
TJ coconut body butter is going on the shopping list. That’s a really great idea to layer Black. It was getting pretty screechy this morning, like driving with the handbrake on, so this might help.
It’s great stuff, especially considering it was only $5.
I guess I could also add Chergui on #3 to round out the top 5. Not sure what this group of scents signifies about me..lol
1.Day 2 I’m not wearing Iris Silver Mist again.The days are getting warmer as Spring is here,so I turned to my much loved J’Adore(original formulation).Breezy Floral,perfect for Spring!
2.Le Male.Bottles and bottles and bottles of Le Male!!Lol!Still love it in a nostalgic way,although since I’ve met you bunch,I’ve discovered wayyyyy too many other perfumes to discover and try out!
3.I like to think Iris Silver Mist and Bendelirious are the 2 perfumes,that kind of capture my personality very well.Enough said…;-)
I purchased my first bottle of Le Male from the Sephora in Georgetown for my Husband for Father’s Day, probably mid 1990’s and we are almost finished with that bottle. I do not think the new formula smells as good as our old bottle….
1. Just back home from yoga class…going to hop in the shower real quick, and when I get out will apply my SOTWeekend, No. 5 Eau Premiere.
2. My prior signature scent would be an amber/myrrh oil that I wore for years, probably from age 23 – 30. Bought it at Whole Foods. It is really pretty, and just the right amount of spicy sexiness. I went through a couple of those little bottles, and still have it in my collection.
3. Still figuring this out! I am coming to the conclusion that I do not have a singular signature. But I do have a small cadre of scents that I know I can rely on for various situations.
So, maybe a signature trifecta? I would say No. 5 Eau Premiere, Shalimar, and ….ummm…..I dunno.
As a side note, I just got my Ulta mailer, and it included a scent strip of Calvin Klein Reveal. I think I might like it – definitely have to sniff in person, but it seems like what I was hoping EL Sensuous would be like. Fingers crossed that I like it! And then, no-buy (who am I kidding – slow buy).
Whoops – kinda screwed up answering #3. Let’s leave it as T.B.D.
Reveal reminded me of Sensuous too, but maybe crossed with Womanity. I haven’t tried it on skin yet, but I liked the spritz on paper that I smelled. It’s already at the discounters, btw. I didn’t ask what they were charging at the discount shop where I saw it.
Nice – I should check out the Perfumania near me, since their “buy a travelo, fill it with perfume from any open, travel-compatible tester bottle for an additional $10” deal worked out really well for Burberry Body. I am very pleased with how fresh the juice stays.
[Boilerplate non-affiliated party verbiage here] 😉
Yesterday I wore No 19 poudre and today I eh, went for coco noir. At least it’s Chanel
I wore coco mademoiselle when it first came out as my signature scent- sweet and sexy.
These days with the pregnancy hormones I am having a hard time with perfume in general, Noir and No 10 poudre seem to be ok. Coco Mademoiselle has too much sweet for right now
1) Still in Mary Greenwell Plum. (Which, by the way, really did not perform well last night – probably the weather had something to do with it. I got rained on a lot. 🙁 ) The heat seems to be burning this one off pretty fast, so I’m having to reapply.
2) I never had A Single Signature Scent until I was married and broke, and then I went through three in succession, of necessity rather than of choice: in 1998 The CEO bought me Eliz Arden True Love as a Valentine’s Day gift. It wasn’t a favorite, but it was pleasant. By 2004 I was taken by Victoria’s Secret Pink, which is a green floral with peony. A little “fresh,” maybe, but somewhere along the CK Eternity/Tommy Girl spectrum, certainly no worse. Then I picked up Velvet Tuberose at Bath and Body Works in 2009, and was wearing that when I fell down the rabbit hole.
Before then I had a harem of fragrances (mostly drugstore stuff) and could pick according to my mood. (I did wear Lagerfeld Chloe for more than a decade, as a frequent enough choice that I could possibly claim it as another signature scent.)
3) Couldn’t pick a single self-defining fragrance now. Just couldn’t.
Yours is an interesting saga!
1. Osmanthe Yunnan. My daughter ran in a cross country meet today at a forest preserve, so I went with something not-too-sweet that stayed close. I lost track of the Fragrance Endurance Challenge ;-), which was likely, as I lose track of lots of things.
2. I went through many fragrances, one bottle at a time over the years. It simply never occurred to me to collect, until the internet mentioned it to me. I’ve monogamously worn Coty Wild Musk Oil, No. 5 cologne, Privilege, Il Bacio, Ysatis, Demi-Jour and probably some others.
3. I suppose I might go with Infusion d’Iris, as it never feels wrong.
Oh yes! I agree about Infusion d’Iris. I often reach for it when I can’t decide what to wear. It never disappoints.
I wore Il Bacio, nearly exclusively, for about 15 years. This is when I had small children and just needed something I did not have to think about. I do not wear it much anymore but I still like it.
So nice to see Il Bacio mentioned. I found it as a blind buy on eBay, and think it is so pretty. You never hear about it on the perfume blogs though.
I remember testing it when it was in the department stores in the 90s – I remember the red glass “lips” for the cap? Am I remembering this right? I remember also that I *almost* liked it, but bought the Venezia instead.
“until the internet mentioned it to me.”
Lol! Love this.
My younger sister wore Ysatis. It is/was such a stunner!
Yes! I’m on day 2 of CdG Avignon, and I’m LOVING it so far. I’m trying not to rush out and buy a whole bottle before my sample runs out, but it’s hard! Gotta be responsible, though.
Back in the day (college) my signature scent was KenzoFlower Le Parfum (the red bottle). I went through three [big] bottles of it (after having a constant stream of samples of it for multiple years!), but when I ordered my fourth bottle, it smelled different, and I just didn’t love it anymore. For that matter, I didn’t really like the fourth bottle at all. I still have that partially-used bottle, and it still bums me out.
I’m not sure if there’s a perfume that reflects who I am as a person, but I think Shalimar perfectly encapsulates everything I like in a scent, at least. It actually doesn’t read “sexy” to me at all. Indulgent, maybe, but to me, it’s just self-assured, rich/deep, and bold. It’s spicy and not too floral: feminine without being defined by its femininity, alone. I guess I’d like to think of myself that way?
Eleebelle, you’ve nailed it in my book! I feel the same about Shalimar and also no. 5. I am a Libra, and I crave a well-balanced blend, with the floral aspects as supporting characters rather than center stage.
I am not sure if solifleurs (sp?) are for me. Cartier Baiser Vole was one of the first perfumes I bought when I started stocking my perfume survival kit, and gifted it to a friend for that very reason. She loves it, and is wearing it today as her bridal scent! Happy to say it found a loving home 🙂
I disliked No. 5 for years… until my most recent vacation when I sampled it again and WOW! I’m not sure it’s me (I think it’s too well-dressed to be me 🙂 ), but so gorgeous and full of strength.
I love the idea of a perfume survival kit! Great that you could be part of your friend’s wedding in such a special way!
Baiser Vole is an excellent choice for a bridal fragrance!
1. I am still in Lalique Encre Noir.
2. My first fragrance was a Christmas present: Halston Z-14. From there my sig scent/owning one scent at a time moved to Polo, then Quorum, Kiehl’s New Mown Hay, Eau Lente, then a pile of Demeters including Grass, Ivy, and Laundromat, and then my first Bell Jar; Encens et Lavande. After that it was all over for me as a one bottle at a time person.
3. I am a little to “Sybil” to choose a single scent, but if I could impose one on myself, I would choose Chanel Pour Monsieur. Or La Myrrhe. Or Sous le Vent. Never mind.
How many personalities did Sybil have? I think I have that times two. 😉
Ha…off topic but what a flashback! Didn’t that whole book turn out to be a hoax?
I think so. My multiple fragrance personalities are not. 😉
1- not wearing anything today… I ran out of the shower, applied non-scented deodorant spray and run again for a late lunch at a nice italian place.
2- I had 2 or 3 signature scents. The one I liked the most was CD Eau Sauvage Extrême. Citric but with extra heft.
3- I agree on your comment about aspirational perfumes…. when I was just starting working in a semi corporate environment (back in the mid 90s) I used to wear Heritage de Guerlain as it projected a more mature vibe… I don’t think I could stick to just one right now… If really pushed to choose… (and I am surprising myself here) I’d go with SL Gris Clair! How high maintenance of me!!! LOL
Yesterday it was Knowing (I’ve been on a bit of a kick)–but finally decided I needed something cheerful and rosy. So that’s me wearing SSS Velvet Rose… but then I was nosing around a Ross store near where I was running errands, and picked up a bottle of Guerlain’s AA Flora Nymphea…
VR + FN? A walking floral wham bam thank you ma’am.
DON’T try this at home!!!
Gaaaaasp…….
That’s a great find! I don’t know that I’ve ever managed to find a Guerlain at Ross!
So, when I came home, I found the same 2.5 ml edp bottle for $4.71 cents more on Amazon w free shipping (not even Prime)… which is really close… if you are looking for Flora Nymphea and are in the U.S.
I like it more than I expected. (yezz, I blind bought. bad girl. bad girl….) It reminds me of something that might come from Parfums Delrae if she made edts (sorry if that horrifies some Delrae fans!)
Meant edT bottle
Man now I wanna go comb some Ross stores! lol I’ve seen Shalimar Parfum Initial (the gift set with the lotion) at Marshall’s, so I’m a little surprised I haven’t seen any AAs there.
When I found my bottle of Lolita Lempicka at Ross I checked Amazon from my phone while I was in the store to see what they were charging. Turned out to be more than what Ross was charging, so I went for it. I’ve blind bought there too. You can usually find me in some out-of-the-way corner of the store searching Fragrantica on my phone, trying to decide if I should buy something that seems like a good deal. 🙂
1. Yes, wearing Miss Vanille again, but less because it is VERY humid today. This is balsamic vanilla that morphs into a rich incense vanilla in the drydown.
2. Canoe and Jovan Musk for Men in the ’70s. I smoked then and the JM combined really nicely with cigarette smoke. Sounds bizarre today, but true nonetheless. Devin – ’80s, Fahrenheit early ’90s, then CK Escape for Men. After that, EVERYTHING goes! LOL 😉
3. Shalimar – I love it, from top to bottom. YMMV
I think I read a post somewhere about how perfumes used to be designed to complement or compete with tobacco smoke. Wish I could remember where, although I don’t think it went into as much depth as the topic merits. I suppose the decline in smoking and increased sensitivity of our noses could explain some of the trend toward lighter perfumes.
Hello NozKnoz!
I think Habanita Molinard (a favourite of mine) was designed with tobacco smoke in mind. At any rate, glad I stopped tobacco use, but some fragrances do complement tobacco.
Yes, that’s the perfect example: it was originally designed to perfume cigars or cigarettes, only later turned into a regular perfume.
It’s funny: I’ve always hated tobacco smoke because both my parents smoked. Nonetheless, I like tobacco in perfume. I suppose it could have something to do withs the noxious chemicals that result from burning, but I don’t care for the smell of cigar shops, either. It’s a mystery!
My first boyfriend a billion years ago wore Canoe, and I always liked it. I’m not sure how it smells now! And I think it is totally awesome that you picked Shalimar!!
I was going to do the signature scent challenge but I didn’t wear anything today because I was out working in the yard. That wasn’t the smartest thing I’ve done. It was so darn humid.
I had a few signature scents in my life. I consider those the ones I managed to go through more than one bottle of. Ysatis, Calandre, Angel, Jardins de Bagatelle, Chanel No. 22, and Love’s Baby Soft. The Chanel might have been my favorite. I always felt special in it and no one else ever smelled like me.
I’m not sure what perfume is really me. I think Mitzah sometimes could be the one but how I see me and how others see me is probably very different. Heeley Cardinal is a good one for me too. It’s got the dark, brooding incense with a little touch of brightness.
Jardins de Bagatelle is a fragrance I also wore when I was in my 20s. I used to think it was very dreamy and elegant. It was definitely one of my aspriational fragrances, back when I used to dream I’d live in Europe!
1. Still wearing by Killian Rose Oud. Still loving it.
2. I went through many bottles of the original Chloe, before moving on in the 80s to Fendi, and the occasional small parfum bottle of Coco. Hoarding my last half bottle of Fendi.
3. I may be developing a signature scent category – dark roses.
1. I spritzed on a single tiny spray of L’Eau du Navigateur on the way to work and discovered — I’ve been wearing it for years, how did I never notice this? — that it is extremely bright and sunshiny at the very top for a minute or so before the coffee and wood take over. I mean, of course a scent will have top notes, but I literally never noticed this ray of sun before.
2. I have never had a single signature scent. Back in the very early eighties I had four — Grey Flannel, Lagerfeld, Oscar de la Renta Pour Homme, and Jacomo de Jacomo — but I also supplemented that with lots of samples.
3. Vintage Parfum d’Hermes reflects who I would like to be — rich and soigné while still being warm and accessible — and that’s why I wear it, but that wasn’t the question, was it? I hate to think it, but smiley, uncomplicated CSP Vanille Abricot is probably who I really am.
Ha! I doubt that. 😉
I just loved that vintage Parfum d’Hermes too. Your description of it is just perfect!
Well, that didn’t last long – this morning, I wasn’t concentrating and put on Hermes Narcisse Bleu rather than my designated signature scent of Epice Marine. Freudian slip? I’m not really in the mood for either of these. Spraying on Parfums MDCI Promesse de l’Aube.
I had a series of signature scents when I was younger, but only wore them on special occasions. Youth Dew, Lagerfeld Chloe, and Prescriptives Calyx were some of them. By the 1990s, I started to own more perfumes, rather than trying to find one signature scent. The change was partly a function of having more money, partly having read about Annick Goutal and trying and loving several of her scent, then branching out.
Most “me” would probably be one of the weird Duchaufours, like Timbuktu, Dzongkha, Sienne l’Hiver or Paestum Rose, LOL. Not that I actually wear them very often. Or maybe La Via del Profumo, such as Sharif or Mecca Balsam. Or a Turtle Vetiver, perhaps. The perfume I find especially comfortable now is SNM Melograno – I feel like I could wear it every day, but don’t want to get too used to it. Same for Jil Sander Woman III in winter. But I could also say that variety and collecting is most “me.” 🙂
I adore La Promesse de l’Aube. It is just beautiful.
A classic beauty – a bit under-appreciated due to the price, I’m afraid.
On Day 2 of Dev 1 and still enjoying the woody, smokey aura. I wore the original Oscar De la Renta for years and Borghese Il Bacio as well. In college I wore Poison and about 10 years ago threw the rest of that bottle away, what was I thinking? That I would never wear it again, probably! When I was in Junior High and High school, I wore Coriandre, Emeraude, Tabu and L’heure Bleue, which my parents purchased in Paris for me. I could wear Esprit De Oscar, a happy marriage between the original Oscar and L’Heure Bleue, as a singular fragrance for the rest of my life but am happy I do not have to!
I like Esprit d’Oscar a lot too, and actually considered it for the weekend challenge, but decided to stick with Chanels.
2. My first perfume love (after my Love’s Baby Soft years, that is) was Chanel 19. Definitely aspirational, I was a teen that wanted to be elegant and sophisticated and these are the songs it sung to me as a lass. I wore this for many years, and as a broke young woman, the few times I was able to buy a new bottle was always a wonderful, magical day for me
3. Now that I’m not so (ahem) young, and have a cupboard full of perfumes, I still circle back to No. 19. I still aspire to be an elegant and sophisticated woman but haven’t managed much success with that. Another one that just feels like me is Eau des Merveilles. Does that make me a cold beach?
1) Day 3 of Fracas and loving it.
2) I chose Fracas for the challenge because I needed something with the same in your face vibe of my 80s
signature scents – Paris, Poison, Opium – for an 80s music night last night.
3) Too hard to choose – depends on my mood.
1. I am on Day 2 of Shiseido White Rose. I made it easy on myself, actually–we went on an overnight trip yesterday, and it was the only perfume I brought along, so I had no other perfume choices available. We are back home now, but I see no need to end the challenge prematurely. I still love it, and it never irritates me or gets on my nerves. If I have a criticism of it, it is that it doesn’t have terribly great longevity, although sometimes just when I think it has faded out I will catch another whiff of it. If I had a vat of this, I would wear it far more often.
2. I never really had a signature scent. When I was a girl, about nine or ten, I had a bottle of Coty Muguet des Bois (a Christmas gift from my great-aunt) which, aside from a nameless Avon rollerball, was my only bottle of perfume for several years. I would sneak dabs of my mother’s perfume, though, whenever I could. In eighth grade, after the MdB ran out, I got a bottle of Shulton Blue Jeans, followed by Love’s Baby Soft. From there on out, I accumulated a scent wardrobe, and never had fewer than 5 or 6 bottles at a time. I would usually have a favorite at any given time, that I wore more than any other, but not one that I wore exclusively.
3. What would be “me” would probably depend on my mood, the weather, time of year, and so on.
I had a great aunt who bought my older sister and I bottles of Coty Muguet des Bois when we were about 10 or 11 ish. I totally forgot about those as well. Reading everyone’s recollections of fragrances past has really losened my memory.
My first fragrance as well. Then a neighbor gave me Chantilly for high school graduation. AFter that I found Casaque on my own and still get it on ebay. True love lasts forever, sigh..
My mom handed me down a bottle of Chantilly and it still has fond memories for me. It still is one of the best smelling old drug store frags around. I have some and the dusting powder which is fun for nice cheap thrills.
1) I am on day two of Parfums de Nicolai’s L’Eau Mixte. It is not in any way a signature scent for me, but I like it a lot, and in this extremely hot and humid weather, it’s perfect and light.
2) For many years, I had just one or two scents/perfumes, so by definition I guess those were signature scents. But I never really thought of them that way. In the 80’s, it was Poison and towards the end of the decade some jasmine oil. Then in the 90’s it was Liz Claiborne’s Vivid (my primary still associates that scent with me) and Crabtree & Evelyn’s Jasmine de Provence. JdP also always smells like fun and bad decisions, as someone commented previously about a perfume.
3) I can’t think of just one scent that really reflects who I am, but some of them do a good job of reflecting one aspect of my personality.
4) This is off topic, but I wanted to shout out to Thegoddessrena, Hajusuuri, Floragal, and Ihadanidea–I was fortunate to meet them all for a sniff-fest a few nights ago, and it was a blast!
Wow, I feel terribly unsophisticated. I was going to say that I hadn’t really worn perfume until after college, which is about 99% true. Then I remembered the Clinique Happy body lotion I received as a gift during my senior year of high school (which seems like a long time ago, if that counts as an excuse).
I think I’d pick Chergui as the perfume that most reflected me as a person. Perhaps not super notable at first glance/sniff, but it grows on you 🙂
I’m in the same unsophisticated line you’re in! I hardly ever wore “perfume” when I was younger and just wore scented lotions and such. Chergui has been on my “try” list forever- I need to get in gear and give it a sniff.
I wore Silences again this morning but the SA at Von Maur begrudgingly gave me samples of Bond #9 Scent of Peace and New York Amber, so I cracked and tried the SOP tonight. It reminds me of Creed White Flowers.
I have been a serial dater of perfumes until rather recently. For months or years, I would wear mainly one: grade school was Chanel #5 and Diorissimo, high school Marilyn Miglin Pheromone, college was mainly drugstore stuff; I remember Exclamation! In the mid 90’s AG Hadrien for YEARS, then Bvlgari for men. When I met my husband, who wore the same Bvlgari, I switched to their The Au Vert and Omnia Crystalline. When I was pregant with my son, I bought Fresh Lemon Sugar and wore it till he was born. After, it was the updated big rosy Chloe. After my daughter was born, it was Creed Millisieme Imperial all the time. Most recently, I wore Byredo Gypsy Water – went through three travel sizes in less than a year – but now I seem to change as often as possible!
1. I actually was scent-naked today, as I’m a bit preoccupied with last-minute wedding stuff (it’s on Friday!), and when I realized that I would struggle to choose a scent, I chose not to choose at all and said eff it. Haha.
2. When I was in high school, I wore Lancome’s Miracle a lot, and then replaced it with EL’s Pleasures intense. Threw in Tommy Girl at some point as well, and also Heaven from the gap. Oh wow, not very signature-y, although I remember using each of those pretty steadily.
3. Oh, this is a tough one. Like pretty much everyone else, I’d want a perfume that captured the contrasts–crazy but endearing, look but don’t touch/come jump into my armes yesterday, etc.
I can’t wait for the split meet! if I get to play, it’ll be my first one ever!
You’re getting married on Friday?! You don’t have a wedding scent?! Do you want us to choose one for you!!!???
I’m sure many people here would be glad to help 🙂
Best wishes for a reasonably stress free and very loving wedding! And better wishes for a great marriage!
1. beloved amouage today, love it but find it a bit to tame..
2. Escada Margaretha Ley and tendre poison.
3. still looking for MY perfume…wore coco for years and still desperate looking for a similar to vintage coco ..current version I find way to sweet. Eau du soir and knowing, bottega veneta, shalimar I wear most now, I wish I’d love one of them it could be my signature!!
The fragrance I think gets closest to the same trajectory as the original Coco is FM Noir Epices. I’d say they are almost sisters – really built the same but with slightly different features. I think it was Joe a few years ago who mentioned this to me, and I was like, naw…. until I really let myself live with NE, and realized that he was right! Another fragrance that I think gets to the same plush place as Coco is the Somona Scent Studio Tabac Aurea.
Tabac Aurea is one of my favorites- cant wait for it to get a bit cool here so I can bust it out. Reminds me so much of my father who used to smoke a pipe off and on when I was a child. His flannel shirts that he wore to work always smelled of pipe tobacco, motor oil, and diesel fuel. He would hang them in the foyer closet and I remember going into the dark closet, shutting the door, and sticking my head inside his shirts and taking deep breaths. I was (am) an odd duck! 😉
No, I totally understand that you like those smells. I have memories of my grandpa’s basement which always had that oil/machine shop smell. Any time I smell something like that, or like sawdust, it always makes me very happy. Or like sawdust and snow. Do you know what I mean? No one in my family smoked pipe, but the aroma of it is very close, very homey. There is something old time and fascinating about it. I love Tabac Aurea b/c it is just so unique and so well executed. It’s one of my favorite SSS fragrances.
I come from a long history of wearing one perfume at the time. The ones I remember are Courrèges Bleu and Estee Lauder Cinnabar. I was alson on the D&G Light Blue and L’eau d’Issiye band wagons.
When I discovered perfume as an art form a few years back and starting exploring, the first scent that totally connected with me and my skin chemistry was SL Ambre Sultan. As being the first, it will always be very dear to me :).
Hey Everyone.
What a great poll!
My SotD is L’Automne by Micallef, it’s a pretty blend of overripe fruits, spices and a bit of earthy rot (patch maybe? Not sure.), it’s really pleasant now, as the weather here is starting to adjust to the name:).
I can recall a time when I could live with one-two scents, but I never had a signature even back then (in my teens). I just splurged on something I loved if I had the money and used it until it got empty, or if I was lucky enough to get my paws on something else before that, I was changing them based on my mood or the effect I wanted to achieve (Yes, on boys, of course. I was fifteen or what!) And I always kept the bottles for nostalgia’s sake. I felt more like a scent was a milestone of a given part of my life, and one can stroll along all those miles again when needed, just by sniffing at a few bottles. Now, with all the favorites I fell in love over the years, that idea is outdated as well. There’s simply too much to love, and I can’t stand for more than a few days, having the same thing on. If that happens, every once in a while, I know im in love. It happens very rarely nowadays with new releases, by the way.
If I really had to choose one signature, that is me, with all the facets of my personality, and one I even love enough to be identified with it, that would be Rochas Femme. It represents to me the celebration and enjoyment of all the aspects of a woman’s life, all the roles we play, mother, working lady, fairy, diva, thinking individual, sexy devil, dreamer, organizer, chef, you name it; the joys and the harder sides of it as well. Its fruity sparkles at the top could satisfy me in my not-necessarily-grownup moments, the sultry, dreamy florals my secretly umm…romantic side, don’t tell a soul, and the base with its earthy, rich oakmoss could stand for the sensuality I like my life being infused with. Maybe, when I get old enough to gather the wisdom or whatever it requires, I’ll stick with my Woman. Vintage, please:).
Have a very nice Sunday Guys!
What a wonderful comment-and you absolutely make me want to try Femme again!
Thank You!
Oh please do – it is truly a heartbreakingly beautiful scent.
1) Habit Rouge
2) When I was younger I used to have just one or two fragrances at a time. I think this is quite normal for men. I wore them till the flacon was empty. They were never real signature, but something I wore because “you are suppose to wear perfume to attract girls”. I think my first real Sig. scent I bought for me was Gucci Sport.
3) The scent I find best reflects who I am is Habit Rouge by Guerlain. It makes me feel like the gentleman I strive to be.
And it is so effortlessly tasteful without obvious exertion to be popular.
1. Haven’t put on perfume yet today, maybe Amouage Fate Woman?
2.Mitsouko. My first perfume love when I was 19 or twenty. I wore it exclusively for several years.
3. Mitsouko again, It truly feels like me and my family and friends agree 🙂
My brother once told me it felt weird and annoying when a fellow student wore it, because that scent was me!
Mitsouko is really awesome. I can’t wait to begin wearing it this fall.
All this Mitsouko chatter I’m off to apply some. Had no idea that was the perfume for me today. Spent the morning scraping and hosing down our BBQ cover… but now, sitting in the cool house, with everyone else out for a bike-ride, Mitsouko it is!
Ann–I think you were the person who strongly cautioned me to sample No. 5 pure parfum before blind buying. I’ve got a vintage and a new sample wending their way to me from STC on your advice. Thank you!
I’m so glad! I’ve decided to wear Mitsouko tomorrow. Now, I’ve done my fair share of blind buying, but there is just no sense to it with No 5 b/c it’s so easy to come by and the different verions are all a little, well, different. You just never know which one you’ll like best and it’s fun to discover. I have about 6 different vintage extraits that I’ve obtained through ebay these past few years. Most of them are partials (and I like to think about who owned them originally back in the day). I’ve tried to buy ones I can tell (from the good research available online) are from different periods/decades. Short caps, fat caps, etc. I have one or two bottles from the 40s and also a bottle I believe goes back to the 20s b/c it is before the standard bottle we have now. That one is almost completely off, but I love having the bottle. Most of them, if I give them some room for about 10 minutes and get past the bad top notes, well, they are all just wonderful. The old ones have the nitro musks and are very sexy skin scents once you get into the drydown. They are very different from the mostly jasmine-alde-soap of the current versions. When I decide to wear one of my old bottles, if I must entertain myself with top notes, I’ll just dab a little of the body cream or the sensual elixir and then layer. You will have lots of fun with it. Not for nothing, but my favorite era of the No 5 extrait is the 80s – the rose is fairly prominent and jucier than the others. You will have fun sniffing! Let us know what you like. After you make up your mind about the extrait, you should go test the edt at a department store.
1. Day 2 of Chergui — based on your recommendations, thank you, I love it!
2. Yikes, in high school, my best friend and I both wore Charlie White Sunflowers, and Fire & Ice. Then our noses became a little more sophisticated and moved on to Estee’s Pleasures and the entire BBW line. 🙂
3. I’m still trying to find it — it’s a constant hunt, however, Chergui certainly has potential.
As of lately, I’ve been layering JM’s Wood Sage with Orange Blossom… both very linear scents that work well together for the warmer months.
Captain’s Log: Day 3 on planet Bvlgari Black. Is it the bergamot or am I having a scent flashback of “Deep Woods Off mixed with apple cider vinegar? I’m starting to feel like I’m in one of those encounter sessions from the 70’s where couples had to spend a day together in a huge t shirt. Not sure I want to share the t shirt with Black for much longer.
Ha ha ha!
LOL! Excellent.
You almost caused an orange juice out of the nose incident. Thanks for the laugh.
Very funny! I might feel this way about Bvlgari Black if it would linger long enough for me to tire of it…..
Ha! That’s what happens. You “tire” of it!
bwahahaha!
* 😉 *
Brilliant! Thanks for the giggle. May you seek out and boldly explore other fragrances ;D
Update: I was in the car with my friend today and she totally smelled the Black. She thought it smelled like spicy patchouli. I was shocked because I have such a different perception of it and ironically, it’s the first time I’ve ever been complimented on a perfume.
I am impressed with your log and your tenacity. I jumped ship today. The weather was so different – cool and early fall – that I needed a change. Bye bye gorgeous No 19. I had to indulge in the small bottle of iPdF Ambre del Nepal. It seemed more right anyway since I’m only schleping around the house doing chores in my sweatpants. I think No 19 would jump off my skin b/c of my lack of elegance today.
Ambre del Nepal is lovely. You inspired me to dig out my own mini bottle for Fall.
Bvlgari Black is rubber vanilla tea on me and it lasts all day and stays close to skin. I will wear it in slightly cooler weather. It’s one of my cheap thrills.
Yes! I’m so amazed at the prices. I still have a bit left in my mangled freebie bottle, but when that is done I will spring for the big bottle. The signature challenge is showing me that I actually like Black but like a friend who is loads of fun but a bit annoying, probably not every day… or trapped together in a garment with two neckholes.
That is exactly how I feel about Black, too! Almost a love-hate relationship (but more like a love-“too much” relationship, maybe).
That reminds me of one of those relationship films of Ingmar Bergman. Hilarious!
1. Day 3 of Opus 1.
2. In early college it was Shalimar; then Cabochard; after college Diorella. Not one smells the same today.
3. At this stage my signature scent would be PoTL Luctor & Emergo. I get compliments when I wear it; it’s a bit odd; it’s dark and mysterious and yet smells sweet and accessible. A conundrum, which suits me fine.
1. I’m wearing Jill Sander 4 because I was reminded of it when someone mentioned it above. (Not doing the challenge because I was late to the party.)
2. I had a series of signature scents, beginning in the mid-1970s with Germaine Monteil Regime, various short-termers in the 80s, then to Boucheron Jaipur Saphir and Initial in the early 90s, the original Patou Sublime in the mid-90s, Estee Lauder Intuition in the early 2000s, and then no one thing since my perfume habit and knowledge exploded–helped along by Internet facilitation. The odd thing is, in reviewing all of my favorites, i could see similarities–all Orientals with a strong note of tangerine or mandarin.
3. And now even though I wear different things all the time I’d probably say the one that is the most “me” is Elixir des Merveilles–surprise surprise, another Oriental with an orange (peel) note! I’m surprised by this persistent orange-tangerine-mandarin nexus in my favorites.
Thanks for a good poll–I have read through everyone’s posts (a lot!) with great interest. Since I suspect I’m a generation (at least) older than many of you, it was fun to see the differences in experiences growing up.
I love Elixer as well- it was the first of the des Marveilles line that I tried and I love it in winter. I really like the depth and richness it has while still retaining an incandescent light and shimmering quality.
day 3 of In Peace from Space NK. It was a birthday present very recently and very wearable. I ‘might’ have cheated a little with a few spritzer of other things including trying out some new ones but I can see myself wearing this tomorrow happily too. It’s a sort of mimosa iris musc lightly done and quiet, elegant, easy and cheering/calming. The proceeds also go to a good cause so altogether a good thing!
Through the years I have certainly had some perfumes worn exclusively give or take for years at a time, and those I would consider signatures among them are Samsara as it was, Venezia before university, until I couldn’t find it any more, First throughout a lot of university , with Shalimar occasionally, then not sure I can remember/ maybe. Itching really or that was a signature and then massively for a few years Mimosa pour Moi.
Hard to say now, like everyone else the perfume would have to capture so many different elements and work in different weather, moods and settings but certainly some feel incredibly comfortable – no5 generally works well, Joy can be delightful and I have worn it for weeks at a time, and Mimosa pour Moi, although I rarely wear it now, still appeals. Anything by Chanel almost though and no 19 and 19 poudre are both comfortable for very different moods.
Oops typo meant nothing rather than Itching!
1. Scent of the day is CK One Summer. I figured I might as well get my use out of it before Summer is completely over. I unfortunately have been too busy to check out the blog for a while, so I forgot about the signature scent challenge, so none for me! (Though it would have been Chanel No.5)
2.) I never have had a signature scent, because I just have too much fun playing with them to stick with just one, though I do remember a period of time where I work DKNY Be Delicious for a while.
3.) I can’t really think of one scent that describes me, but I would probably choose Chanel No.19!
1. Day 3 of Safran Troublant. It’s a great late summer smell but it just won’t last more than a couple of hours on me.
2. In college I wore Dior J’adore every day. It was the first perfume I smelled in a magazine that I thought smelled different and like something I could wear when it first came out (no one in my family ever wore perfume or cologne) and when I finally had a job at the dining hall I splurged on a bottle. For a couple of years after that I wore Piment Brûlant every day after I discovered non-mainstream perfume, and I think that one, with its big sillage and proximity to my Italian appearance and fairly dramatic dressing was the closest I’ll ever get to a signature scent that other people could recognize as mine. Since then I’ve gone much more towards lighter scents that stick closer to the skin, the first of which was a year or so of En Passant (although I’ve recently acquired some Portrait of a Lady) and mixed it up a lot more in the last couple of years.
3. Um. Dunno. I think Daim Blond intuitively, but for some reason I still don’t have a bottle of it.
Daim Blond is wonderful – definitely FB worthy.
Safran Troublant doesn’t last on me either.
But I love the idea of you buying perfume with your wages! That’s awesome.
Safran Troublant – 8 healthy sprays = 4 hours
Daim Blond is worth the investment.
I agree-Daim Blond is great. I decided to buy FB of it instead of the original BV a couple of years ago. Never regretted it =)
I think I’m going to be a scent challenge dropout, for today at least. I awoke in a crummy mood and don’t want to ruin a favorite perfume. Leopold (my sickie cat) managed to open his cancerous wound again yesterday and is compulsively licking it. I know it will be infected soon and that will be the end. Makes me feel completely helpless. He is too feral to keep confined or put a restrictive collar on; it would just be torture and I want his last days to be as happy as possible. Looks like there will be lots of stress induced cleaning happening at my place today. Sorry for the vent.
I am sorry to hear about Leopold. I think keeping him happy and comfortable is wise and kind. Stress induced cleaning can be very calming. I will wear enough Dev for the both of us today….
Oh, I’m sorry to hear about Leopold and his wound. I don’t know how to comfort you, or help him. Don’t know if you’ve tried (or if it could work on the site) vet wrap for the wound–sort of self stick stretchy wrap, but that’s my only suggestion…it’s available at PetCo & PetSmart.
Hugs to you as you comfort your kitty. If there’s a comfort scent for you, wear it, and scent challenge be stuffed. Hang in there.
So sorry about your kitty. Just keep telling him he’s very loved. Take good care of yourself too.
So very sorry 🙁
So sorry about your kitty.
Very sorry to hear about your cat. Best wishes.
I am so sorry. It sounds like you are doing your best for Leopold, which is all that you can do sometimes. Best wishes, too.
FYI, I found the source of a useful quote from The Guide that I mentioned last weekend. It’s from the review of Diptyque Eau de Lierre by Tania Sanchez:
“Wan leafy green. For the fun of putting on perfume without the fun of smelling it.”
Apologies to fans of Eau de Lierre – the last sentence applies to so many modern perfumes.
When I was in my twenties I had a signature scent–L’Interdit by Givenchy. About twelve or so years ago, my signature scent was Hermes L’Hiris. Now I have so many, I try to wear a different one every day.
Day 3 of Bulgari Black! It’s interesting how it seems less rubbery to me now. And I’m not even layering with anything. I seem to be getting more emphasis on the vanilla today.
You know, this is one of my favorites and I have yet to smell rubber when I wear it! EVERYONE says it does but my nose just picks up a cool vanilla based scent. I find it very cooling in the heat. Maybe my nose is skewed…
I was thinking about Bvlgari Black today! I was actually wearing Lonestar Memories, but I was thinking about how much it reminds me of BB. They have the same “weirdness over vanilla” dichotomy going on in my mind, and I love the vanilla in both but I think I prefer the weirdness of Lonestar Memories. Black is lovely too, though, and infinitely more affordable…
I haven’t tried Lonestar Memories. One of these days I’ll get around to it. And yeah, Black is so much more affordable, especially since you can find it at discounters pretty easily.
I was almost going to drop out of the challenge. This morning, I sprayed on a recently acquired sample of Roja Dove Goodman. I like it despite it being skewed masculine. This afternoon, I layered on Guerlain Cuir Beluga (woo hoo Day 4) and the whole combo reminded me of Le Labo Vanille 44!
I was almost going to drop out too! Not because I didn’t want to wear my chosen fragrance, but because I was hankering for a change. Maybe I am much more fickle than I thought? I stuck with and happy I did, but cheated a bit by wearing Zephyr perfume oil by BPAL this morning to spin class, then applying my challenge scent after showering. Am I still legit?? 😉
I’ve made it to day three with L’Eau Trois, sort of. I couldn’t resist wearing Vanille Insensee to bed last night. I love Vanille Insensee for bedtime. It’s so comforting and it sticks around until morning.
As for L’Eau Trois, boy do I love this stuff more and more. It smells so natural. It’s like hiking through Mediterranean scrubland in the heat of summer and brushing up against fragrant plants. It stays really close to the skin but I don’t mind. I wear fragrance for my own enjoyment and I usually don’t worry about projection. It’s longevity could be better though. it seems to be the kind of fragrance that fades in and out. You think it’s gone and then suddenly there it is again. L’Eau Trois was a blind buy so I’m really glad that I’ve ended up liking it so much.
Hookay… “Signature scents?” Never my aim, but I have been a serial monogamist with perfume in the past.
My earliest partners were Diane von Fürstenberg’s Tatiana, Coty’s Bois de Muguet, and something called China Rain by Body Time (originally called The Body Shop)…
Then White Linen, Nahema, and Cristalle.
Then Escada Margaretha Ley, Knowing, and Coco…
and THEN I fell down the rabbit hole. Of all of these, Cristalle, Knowing and Coco are still in my rotation…
I’m trying to track down vintage Nahema to see if I can recapture what that early love was… can’t seem to find it in new bottles. It is always possible my memory is playing tricks on me as well.
Just because you are paranoid ….. Memory does play tricks on us, but they are also tinkering a lot and especially thinning things down. It’s probably both. I’ve recently got very peeved b/c Chanel lessened the scent of their No 5 bar soap. I don’t usually buy body products b/c of their cost and the fact they go down the drain, but I made an exception the past few years for the bar soap which lasts me a long time and used to smell really quite wonderful and very much like the edt. I never would have thought to stock up, but now, pah. I’m not paying $25 for something that smells no different than any aldehyde laden bar soap. It made me mad. The profit margin on the soap must be extreme anyway so why cheapen it? I think all the fragrance companies have lost their heads chasing dollars they would already get and alientaing their long time clients in the process. I’ve really wanted to get some of the Nahema extrait, but I’m sure my dwindling older, not vintage, edp, is better and richer.
Day 3 of Une Rose de Kandahar.
Still loving it. As the days have gone by, the image that keeps coming mind when get a whiff here and there is crushed velvet. A deep burgundy crushed velvet. And for some strange reason I keep picturing Medieval dresses. Not the homespun kind, but the dresses queens and “upper class” women wore. This perfume smells to me like the sound of those types of dresses swishing the floor as the women traveled through their days.
Strange, but magical.
Wow!
1. Vol de Nuit, and on Day 3! I thought this would be harder, but I’ve only suffered a few pangs of longing for others. This is one of my HG scents, and I’ve only worn it in winter, which is another reason why I thought it would be more difficult, since it’s been in the 90’s here. Turns out, I’ve spent almost all my time inside over the weekend (mostly because I can’t stand the heat), so I still love it.
2. No, unless you count the time between my first and second bottles when I was 11-12 years old. 🙂 I’ve always had at least a few.
3. This one comes the closest, I think. Starts out reserved but warms up nicely.
VdN is so beautiful. I love wearing it in the winter, especially when I have to shovel snow. There is something about VdN and falling snow that are just made for each other.
ahhh 1)SOTD is a base of Aramis, with just one spray of Amouage Opus VI, and I’ve been wearing that since Friday, so I guess that I’m committed to the current layering. 2) My first association with the idea of a signature scent goes back 20+ years when I first found Bandit and wore that for a decade and then some. 3)And what becomes my Legend most? Well my foundation triad is Bandit, Jicky and Hypnotic Poison, and I have so fallen down the fragrance rabbit hole. Next up is Eau de Magnolia new from Frederic Malle……..but it is just one of 27 bottles currently on my fragrance bar, mmm make that 29.
My signature in my ‘fun and bad decisions’ era of the 1980s was Eau de Patou. I still have the bottle with a centimetre left in it (and the bandage mini skirts that went with it) and I experience very peculiar emotions when I sniff it, a mix of embarrassment and relief I think. I wore Eau Sauvage after that, possibly because I was exhausted from trying to be sophisticated and thought a men’s cologne would be easier to live up to. My husband took it off me when we met and it is now one of HIS signatures and I’m still cranky about that. In the 90s I always wore Romeo Gigli out in the evenings and I adore it still; it reminds me of my first trip to Venice when there was an aqua alta and we couldn’t find our way home after dinner because the pavement had turned into the sea. I still have the black velvet dress from that trip which I’m keeping for my daughter and I’m rationing the Romeo Gigli. I don’t have anything remotely resembling a signature now, or a credit rating, since discovering internet samples.
1. Wearing Portrait of a Lady.
2. 70’s–Azuree, 80’s–Poison, 90’s–TBS Mango, 00’s–Spring Flower
3. I want to say Portrait of a Lady, but maybe I’m just being aspirational. Or maybe I’m over-thinking this. Others I’ve felt could be me: Passage d’Enfer (the one my husband thinks is “me”), Vetiver Tonka (reminds me of my childhood for some reason, before self-consciousness set in), and Mitsouko. Oddly, Mitsouko doesn’t feel aspirational to me, just comfortable.