When people learn that I write about perfume, I can usually count on two questions: "What’s your favorite perfume?" and "Can you recommend a fragrance for me? I want a signature scent." Forget about naming a favorite perfume. That’s a moving target. But for everyone who’s asked me to recommend a fragrance, this post is for you.
Before heading off to a boutique to find a signature scent, it’s helpful to know a few things about perfume. To me, it's most important to understand that perfume is an art, like music or painting. Just as you probably winced the first time you heard opera and puzzled at your first Jackson Pollack, there’s a good chance you won’t initially appreciate all of a fragrance’s subtleties. When a perfumista friend raves about Guerlain Mitsouko, all you might smell is “grandma” — or worse, “rotting grandma.” That’s okay. Part of the fun of finding perfume you love is exploring a whole new art form.
Some companies count on your lack of olfactory discrimination. They sell perfume with glitzy marketing and they trumpet lists of fragrance notes like “angel mousse” and “gardenia spasms.” They convince you that wearing their scent will transform you into a disco goddess. They make a perfume from cheap materials and give it a juicy top note with the hope that the perfume’s initial hit of Hawaiian Punch will open your wallet. Don’t fall for it. Few of us are entirely immune to sexy branding or a good story (think of how much Chanel No. 5 Marilyn Monroe moved when she said it was all she wore to bed), but try your best to choose fragrance based on your nose.
You don’t have to have an ultra keen nose to appreciate perfume, either. To me, it’s more rewarding to explore the “shape” of a fragrance than to be able to rattle off the names of notes. Composing a fragrance is like planting a garden border. When you design a border, you not only think about the sequence of color as plants bloom and fade, but about each plant’s size and rate of growth, which plants will shade out others over the season, how to group plants with the same needs for light and water — and a lot more. Similarly, a perfumer orchestrates a fragrance’s notes so that the whole composition develops harmoniously over time without “clunks” along the way. As with plants, each fragrance material is different in how fast it develops, how loud it is, how it overwhelms or enhances other materials, and a thousand other things that I, as a perfume civilian, only guess at.
As you pay attention, you’ll see that a perfume can whisper lullabies or roar massive oratorios and throw surprises at you every few hours. It can be dense, airy, cold, silky, gritty, or pulpy. It can smell different when you sniff it up close compared to at arm’s length. If you think about it, it makes sense. Unlike a dress or a piece of jewelry, perfume actually lives on your skin. Its molecules blend and dissipate according to body heat and the perfumer’s skill.
And now for a warning. It's likely your appreciation for perfume will eventually outstrip that of your friends and family. What this means is when you choose a signature scent, it has to be for you. Your husband may not empathize with your love of Miss Dior. Your wife might not get the seductiveness of Serge Lutnes Muscs Kublaï Khan’s funk. Hopefully, they’ll at least tolerate your fragrance (although the Muscs Kublaï Khan might be pushing it), but don’t expect your perfume to enchant everyone the same way it does you.
Let me add another warning. Exploring perfume might cause you to give up the whole idea of a signature scent altogether. You might discover you want a whole wardrobe of them, instead. If so, welcome to the club!
Thanks for your post Angela – and on a much discussed topic in the perfume community!
If I may add a suggestion for those on a quest for a signature scent it would be to pick a signature note rather than a signature fragrance. In my (arguable) opinion there are vetiver people, jasmine people, oud and incense people and much more. I think most people identify with a certain note – and that’s what I guess one look for in a fragrance. There’s a few pros: you don’t feel too committed to one fragrance only, and you still leave your print. Isn’t that a win-win? 🙂
Lupo. I also think this is a good point, a fragrance family as your siggy. I’ve told this before but when I and my cousins each turned 16 my VERY French grandmother choose a signature scent for each of us. I think she was fed up and a little appalled that all of us gravitated towards Love’s Baby Soft, Yardley and Jean Nate! It was the 60’s- early 70’s LOL She wanted us to see the power of REAL perfume, that it was a daily luxury we could have, along with good jewelry and a few basic clothes that would see you through everything short of a natural disaster. I was given Je Revien and faithfully wore it for several decades. Only in my late 30’s did I discover other scents that suited me better, and almost all of those fall in the Oriental family with oud and amber dominating. Those work well with my skin, my personality and I love them. Not that I still don’t love JR, but I rarely wear it and when I do I remember Grandma. Not because it’s a granny scent, but her love and care for us and gently, sometimes not so gently guiding us towards womanhood.
This is such a lovely story, Kelly Red.
That’s such a wonderful story! I wish I could have met your grandmother.
What a great idea! Thank you for suggesting it. I can imagine the possibilities already…
Great stuff, Angela. I look forward to reading the next part. Although I do have a signature scent, I will admit that I do dabble in other scents as well.
How did you find your signature scent? Did you stumble upon it, or did you do a full-out study?
My mom is a perfumista as well and brought home some samples one day. She gave them to me. Nectarine Blossom and Honey was one of them. I immediately loved it and couldn’t get enough of it. Once I drain ed the sample, I went to buy a bottle. And the rest is history. I get soooo many compliments from men and women alike. Nothing else from my collection has ever gotten that much attention. I have worn perfume my whole life, but this is the one that sent me down the rabbit hole. 🙂
What a great story! Plus, it ties you to your perfumista mother, which is great, too.
Thanks Angela!
I have given up on a signature scent-when I wake up in the morning-I could feel like a strong oud or a soft floral. I may change up work/dinner/drinks type of scent..start out with one and end the night with another. I do admit there are some that I reach for more often then others. I remember when I was preggers I reached for only Eau de Cologne and left the amouages, Sl, and strong ouds alone for months.
There is something nice about having a signature scent. My grandmother only wore Tresor. My mom wore Oscar & White Linen. So there are some scent memories that come from having a signature scent.
I like the idea of a signature scent, but there are too many lovely perfumes for me to settle on just one!
I have the same scentiment (pun intended). My fragrances change with my mood, the seasons, the time of day, etc. 🙂
Absolutely! Sometimes I’ll even coordinate scent with whatever color I’m wearing.
Yep, my exact problem. It would be lovely to have a perfume signature, but since I wear perfume mostly for my own enjoyment, this sounds like having a signature food, or a signature music to listen.
A great comparison! (Of course, now I’m wondering what my signature food might be…)
You are clearly a much better gardener than I am. To the extent I think about that at all, it is usually, why didn’t I plant some bulbs last year,o r is there room for a really pretty plant I just saw somewhere.
And I suspect people just thinking about buying a “signature” scent think somewhat similarly: “I wish I had something on my dresser for tonight’s date”; or “I really like __, I wonder what perfume that would be”
or the eternal “What scents attract (member of the opposite sex)/(member of the same sex)/(anyone, I stopped being choosy a hundred solo Friday evenings ago)”
Yes, there are still some people who think that humans are like ants, the right molecules override all other cultural, physical, social issues to create an immediate chemical attraction.
The advice not to purchase a “signature scent” on the “top note” alone is a good one.
I would add, that it is easier to chose a bottle without committing oneself to a “signature scent”. If you end up buying the same again, then that is your signature.
Also, the major brands modify (i.e., flank) or discontinue scents fairly regularly, so you may be unable to keep the “commitment” to the signature scent even if wanted.
You raise some good points, especially about how accidental a signature scent can be. It would be interesting to do a survey to find out how many people really do have signature scents, and how they found them.
Hell yes – never fall in love with a flanker! With VERY few exceptions, they don’t stay on the market for long.
(A related point – make sure you know which is the flanker/s, and which the pillar fragrance. It can be very confusing. Make sure poor husband/wife knows as well, or they are likely to buy the wrong thing!)
Excellent advice!
LOL! 85% of perfume market seems to be based on this notion, that humans are like ants.
Like ants, we’re drawn to sugar, too, I guess–maybe that explains the popularity of some perfumes.
Lovely advice, Angela. When people ask me for advice, I try to keep in mind that not everyone is as obsessed as I am and willing to spend days, weeks and months on hunting a fragrance. Still, my number one thing I tell people is please, please, please don’t buy anything after 5 minutes of sniffing. Even 30 minutes is much better, if spending a day testing is not an option. A useful technique for me, when struggling to give advice, has been to ask people what they used to like/currently like and if there is a theme (citrus, white florals, wood, whatever), to recommend an upgraded version of it, a more perfumista take, if you will. When it’s better quality, people usually respond well, even if something about the perfume is surprising to them.
This gets at a little of my rationale for not having a signature scent. I’m just having so much fun sampling across scent families I never would have imagined I’d like. I’ll never be able to try it all, so how will I know that I’ve found THE ONE? I’m thrilled to have 4-5 scents that can really speak to who I am, depending on my mood. And I’m happy to spend my lifetime sniffing away and changing my mind. 🙂
Yes, the thing about me is that I really, really like trying different things. It comes and goes, there are periods when I frantically test everything and then I stick with my belowed FBs for a while, but it’s not about finding that one (or even 20) perfect fragrance(s) and then remaining in that eternal state of bliss. This is not bliss for me and I’m just not a Signature Scent type. But I know people look for different things in perfume and that’s as it should be.
As I smell more perfume, I get more discerning, so even things I’ve smelled and put away feel fresh and interesting to me after a while. That’s another reason it’s so hard to settle on one scent.
“I’m happy to spend my lifetime sniffing away and changing my mind” is my motto!
Anikky, I do that too, namely pick a nicer version of a coconut perfume, etc. to them to try.
Have you found a good coconut perfume??
There are a couple of coconutty CSPs, a cheerful, non-cheapo brand.
I suppose the EL Bronze Goddesses count a little bit, although they hint at coconut more than smell of it.
That’s very practical advice, Annikky. If they already know and like a fragrance type, why not upgrade it?
I know this advice looks very obvious written down like that, but often people do not realize that there is a pattern, because it’s not something they analyse. And even more often, they are not aware that niche perfumes (or even classics, other than Chanel No 5) excist and don’t know where to go for a more sophisticated take.
Such a good point. Someone who loves gardenia, for instance, would probably love exploring other gardenias–and maybe even branching into narcissus or tuberose.
Yes absolutely–or maybe even, they think there’s a pattern but in fact the real one is different from what they’ve decided. Def have one friend who told me she liked anything but rose scents, and then of everything I showed her, her favorites were all roses. Sometimes they just need someone with some expertise to help correctly identify the pattern!
I have been guilty of romanticizing the “signature scent.” I love the idea of having a scent so emblematic of my life and personality that those around me instantly think “Oh! That’s Mjane3!” Part of this stems from having lost my mother when I was 12; I love smelling her old perfume and giving in to that tug of memory. And there’s also something compelling about knowing yourself so fully that a work of art, like perfume, can stand in for all the things you’d like to express but are otherwise unable to.
That said, I’ve learned through sampling that I’m not always who I thought I was. On paper a scent may be perfectly “me,” but in practice? Maybe I wind up being a little more “chypre” or “gourmand” or “rose” than I’d have thought. I’m having fun experimenting and to narrow myself down to just one scent seems like a such a waste, really. It’d be like choosing just one word to describe yourself. Possible, sure, but where’s the fun in it?
Yes yes yes! To everything you wrote!
And yes.
mjane3, I think you’ve put your finger on both the allure and the weakness of the signature scent. Most us have different sides to our personalities, and different faces we present to the world in certain situations. Over years and decades, these facets of ourselves will change, in any case. None of us stay the same, and nor would be want to. But the signature scent idea apparently speaks to our longing to discover, and project, a fundamental sense of ourselves which we believe is eternal and unchanging.
That sums it up so well. In finding a signature scent, we hope to find some magic distillation of the real us, our essence.
Just as I ‘love’ the idea of being a minimalist – but recognize that intrinsically surrounding myself with things that bring me joy and fond remembrance that I can ‘see’ and ‘touch’ is a need that transcends minimalism – so do I ‘love’ the idea of a signature scent. But I also realize as a multi-faceted individual with (too) many varied interests, fragrance is a way to express who I want to be on any given day, as well as how old I want to be that day, putting a signature scent out of reach for me. Yet, a lovely post, Angela, full of sage advice; I especially like your concept of the ‘shape’ of a fragrance.
Once you begin to love perfume, I guess you can’t help but love a lot of perfumes, minimalism be danged.
Over the years I have taken several people to the Perfume Shoppe to watch Nazrin work her magic on selections. All of these people were happy with their choice, but then they *all* stuck with their one perfume purchase. What’s this? Don’t they know I want to watch it happen again? But no, they were signature scent lovers all.
The last time was quite recent, with a colleague coming with the idea of a BWF, but ending up with a rather sexy oud. (Oh, and as a perfect example of the emotional heft of scent, she also vehemently rejected anything remotely smelling of citrus, as it reminded her of her now-ex.)
That sounds like fun! I’d love to watch Nazrin work her magic. I’d like it better than watching decorating shows, that’s for sure.
What a great idea, since we seem sentenced to several decades of reality TV. Makeover shows have run their course. Now to figure out how to effect audience olfactory participation. There’s gotta be a way. Think, fellow perfumistas!
I bet the technology is already on its way!
I also love the idea of a signature scent. My grandmothers and my mom had signature scents when I was growing up and when I smell those scents, I immediately think of them. I would love my children to have that kind of “scent memory” of me when they grow up. I often wear 3 or 4 different scents a day and I kind of regret that they won’t connect one particular scent with me. Then again not everyone is as connected to scent as we all are. I was reminiscing with my sister about mom’s KL Chloe and she didn’t even remember that she wore it!
I bet you’re giving your children something better than one scent to remember you by–you’re giving them a wide appreciation of scent!
Yes, think about all the stimulation your changing perfumes is doing to their little brains!
I love the garden metaphor, Angela! The whole post is beautiful.
I think weather is the greatest challenge for the idea of one signature scent in temperate climates.
Weather definitely influences the fragrances I choose. Only a few can sail from season to season without a problem.
Have you ever written a post on perfume for all seasons?
I don’t think so, but I can definitely see one coming down the pike!
I hope so! Intriguing idea for a post (even though I enjoy wearing different scents for different weather and different surroundings).
I do, too, but it would be nice to have a stable of year-round favorites to contemplate!
Actually, at a pinch I can wear Fidji year ’round. Otherwise, I have a handful of cool-weather favorites and a handful of warm-weather favorites.
I have had a few serial signatures. I like a small rotation, but need my “ace in the hole”. Sortilege, My Sin, Holy Smoke, Miss Dior, Chaos, 1000, and currently, Rodin bis.
I value them as I do my first cup of coffee each morning. I marvel that they are familiar, yet a surprise. Everything I hope for, yet more than I anticipate.
Their continuity is solely for me.
With that attractive list, you are making me want to try Rodin bis.
No kidding!
A few of your standbys are discontinued, I note! Such a shame. I also note that they’re all fabulous.
Lovely comment. It is true that the more things we have (perfume, clothes, whatever) the less we seem to value them individually. I’m certainly glad to have reduced my perfumes to a just a few at a time in regular rotation.
You have discipline! Although I can also see where this would make life easier, and, as you say, allow you to really focus on perfumes you love.
Nearly a decade after discovering the online perfumista community and sampling many, many scents, I’m now enjoying curating my scent wardrobe. Like you, perhaps, I’m finding that a small rotation of true favorites is just what I like most.
But isn’t it nice to have the others on hand for those special moods? You never know when you’ll be wearing pink, feeling spring fever, and need a spritz of Nahema, for example.
Or a bombshell fragrance, for my alter ego!
Lovely post, Angela, but count me firmly in the “changing perfume/changing mind” coalition! With that said, I do agree with Annemarie’s comment above as I have found over the years that there came a point at which ‘more; actually made me enjoy my perfume collection ‘less’.
Isn’t funny how it comes full circle? I could never limit myself to one or two fragrances, but I rarely feel compelled to buy new bottles, and I even sold off some of my perfume not long ago.
The comparison with garden design has so many great implications! I love the article and the comments. Like some others here I often wear more than one scent a day, and crave variety, so no signature for me! On the other hand I do think there is a declining margin of utility…
I have a friend, an avid gardener, who came up with the garden design comparison, and I immediately appropriated it.
I love your note of “declining marginal utility”–so apt!
Well congrats on seeing the potential there 🙂