The Big Question: Sadly Not in Smell-O-Vision
By PlumcakeFrancesca and Plumcake want to know:
What is your signature scent? Do you change it with the seasons? Have you ever had a perfume “turn” on you?
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December 5th, 2007 at 1:51 pm
I am partial to dessert scents. My usual fragrance of choice is Amour de Cacao by Comptoir Sud Pacifique. I occasionally dabble in other scents, but I always come back to that one.
December 5th, 2007 at 2:03 pm
My signature scent is Happy by Clinique, and my equal favourite is L’Occitane Green Tea & Mint (which is great for summer).
December 5th, 2007 at 2:14 pm
Calyx by Prescriptives. I’ve been wearing it nearly every day for fifteen(?) years. I don’t like many perfumes, but Calyx is different, somehow. Earlier this year I searched for months for something new and pretty to wear at my wedding, so I’d remember my wedding day whenever I smelled the fragrance, but I couldn’t find anything that both my husband and I liked–almost got Fracas, but my husband didn’t like it much. MEN!
December 5th, 2007 at 2:14 pm
I generally keep this secret close to my heart, esp. since the scent is such a difficult combination to decipher in person, and I love the air (pun intended) of mystery. But it’s too potent to keep all to myself.
My favorite is Jasmine Vanilla by Bath and Body Works. It’s not too musky, not too flowery, and at 27, is very age appropriate. Plus, it drives men WILD. I actually had a male aquaintence think I snuck up on him in the mall - he was just passing B&BW store. When he figured it out, he sniffed all the testers until he found the scent I wore. Next time I saw him, he proudly relayed the story about how he “found me out.” So… that example was a little creepy, but mostly the response is very flattering.
December 5th, 2007 at 2:16 pm
Perfume gives me the heebie-jeebies. I don’t much care for it on others, and I won’t wear it myself. Cologne on a man is a huge turn-off. Not sure why this is. I’d like to like perfume, but I don’t.
December 5th, 2007 at 2:18 pm
Philosophy’s Amazing Grace. It’s generic and wildly popular but I really love it. I get lots of compliments on it, too. I switch to YSL Paris when I want something spicier and more grown up.
December 5th, 2007 at 2:24 pm
I love vanilla based perfumes. I don’t wear a perfume daily, but I love the Body Shop’s vanilla or vanilla spice body wash. When I want to kick it up a little, I use a vanilla perfume by Comptoir Sud Pacifique.
I don’t recall ever being turned on by a woman’s perfume - but one whiff of the cologne my husband was wearing on our first date & I swoon :-)
December 5th, 2007 at 2:28 pm
I can’t wear perfume - something about the alcohol base doesn’t seem to work well on my skin - it just doesn’t smell right. I wear perfume oils or essential oils. My favorite is sandalwood - but true sandalwood is REALLY expensive and not all that easy to come by - and just a tiny bit will work for the day. When I was younger I added a little dab of rose essential oil too, but that is too flowery for me now. I really like the scents that Lush uses on their products especially the Karma - but some people react badly to patchouli!
December 5th, 2007 at 2:44 pm
Happy Heart by Clinique. I wear it year-round, except when I switch to Chanel no. 5 in the winter. Old-school, I guess…
December 5th, 2007 at 2:49 pm
Judy, I used to wear Chanel No. 5 and also Coco. I can’t wear them any more because I developed some sort of reaction to them — they burn my skin. I have the same problem with other strong scents like Obsession and Opium. I miss them. :(
December 5th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
Argh. I could narrow it down to my three favorites, but I don’t wanna. There are about 40 bottles on my dresser. Yeah, I change with the seasons (although I wear my favorites year-round). I change with the day, I change with the outfit. Heck, I’ve been known to match my perfume to my shoes…
December 5th, 2007 at 3:03 pm
I bought a purse-sized roll-on of the Stella McCartney scent early this summer and loved it. For special occasions in winter I tend towards F by Ferragamo. It’s a little too strong for me to be comfortable with on a daily basis, but the warm spice of it is great for holiday parties or a night out.
My favorite thing, though (and I love it for many reasons, not just the smell - it also happens to be the best moisturizing lotion I’ve ever used), is Johnson & Johnson Shea and Cocoa Butter Baby Lotion (http://www.amazon.com/Johnsons-Baby-Lotion-Cocoa-Butter/dp/B000H3F226). It works really well, isn’t greasy, and it’s got a lovely, light, warm smell that I love.
December 5th, 2007 at 3:15 pm
I love the scent of orange blossoms, so when I wear perfume I usually wear that. Occasionally I will wear a carnation-scented perfume oil, which has a very spicy aroma.
December 5th, 2007 at 3:42 pm
4711 - my mum’s scent.
December 5th, 2007 at 3:45 pm
I’m very fond of Jo Malone scents — currently wearing White Jasmine and Mint — though I also love Blue Agava and Cacao. Like Style Spy, I have a big wardrobe of scents, which I switch according to mood. I also like to layer scents, so that I smell only like me. (Learned that trick living in France.)
December 5th, 2007 at 3:46 pm
I almost always wear Lemon Verbena. I’ve tried other scents and go through phases but my bf (and the one before that) always start sniffing at me when I’m wearing it, unlike the other scents I’ve tried. I’ve tried many different brands and am currently liking L’Occitane’s version but they’re all pretty great.
December 5th, 2007 at 3:51 pm
Shalimar or Angel for winter. I’ve never found one I like for hot weather.
December 5th, 2007 at 3:54 pm
Another vote for L’Occitane. I use their Ammande in the winter. The body lotion is to die for. I bring it with me for my pedicures and now all the nail techs use it. In the summer I switch to Jessica McClintock. It’s a nice light fruity floral. I have been toying with trying Lemon Verbena for summer and after reading Lucy’s comment, that clinches it.
December 5th, 2007 at 4:20 pm
I hadn’t even though seasonally. My favorite summer scent is suntan lotion. Tacky, you say? Heaven, I say. :-)
December 5th, 2007 at 4:21 pm
i don’t have a consistnetly good sense of smell so don’t wear things myself generally, as i worry about having too much on. I second the love for Occitane scents. So fresh and not cloying. Also love Demeter’s gin and tonic. Dolce and Gabanna’s pour homme is so warm and spicy and nice that it made me have an almost crush on a coworker.
December 5th, 2007 at 4:41 pm
I loooove perfume and have lots of different scents for different moods, weather, occasions. Chanel Coco is the closest thing I have to a signature scent. I was wearing it the night I met my husband, and 25 yrs. later it’s still his favorite, but he likes others now as well. I tend to like rich incense, woods and orientals in colder weather (Parfums d’Empire Ambre Russe, Donna Karan Black Cashmere, Comme des Garcon, for example) and lighter scents in summer (Bulgari Au The Blanc; Hermes Jardin Sur Le Nil; Parfums de Nicolai Vie de Chateau & Fig Tea.) Scent makes me happy the way that music, chocolate, good books and old movies do.
December 5th, 2007 at 4:44 pm
My favorite is Caron’s Tabac Blond. As Luca Turin said, “Tabac Blond is a woman smoking cigars and driving-not being driven-way too fast.” (Which is me, )
I have a soft spot in my heart for Vanilla Fields by Coty. When I was in school a GF of mine told me that men go crazy for vanilla scents. I laughingly told my mom about her theory; and for a joke, my mom bought me a bottle. I got so many compliments the first day, I wore it every day for about 6 years. I swear I got an average of a compliment a week over that 6 years from both men and women. It must be a great match for my chemistry, but I’m a bit too “mature” for it now.
December 5th, 2007 at 4:46 pm
I actually don’t have a great sense of smell either, thus my love of lemon verbena. Even when I put on too much, it is never so strong that it is offensive to others. Also, it doesn’t clash with food, something that is important to me as I love to cook and entertain.
December 5th, 2007 at 4:59 pm
I love the smell of suntan lotion, too! And the smell of chlorine — it brings back happy childhood memories of summers spent at the beach and the pool.
I don’t care for perfume on myself (to the point I get scent-free detergent and deodorant) and I don’t care for it on others (it seems that those who wear the most perfume have the worst taste in it), but the smells of garlic frying in olive oil or bread baking are enough to make me swoon. I also like the smell of mothballs — it’s what my grandma’s house smelled like.
December 5th, 2007 at 5:30 pm
I LOVE perfumes! My favorite scent right now is Burberry Brit. But for old times sake on the weekends, I like to wear Love’s Baby Soft around the house! My guilty pleasure to make me feel young again!
December 5th, 2007 at 5:45 pm
I love Pleasures Exotic layered with some cheap vanilla body spray in summer. Also Beyond Paradise. I used to wear Beautiful, but then I just didn’t like it so much anymore. I can’t seem to find a winter scent. A lot of perfumes give me horrible headaches, so it’s hard to find something I like that also doesn’t hurt me.
December 5th, 2007 at 5:49 pm
Un Jardin sur le Nil by Hermes, innocent and sexy and the best scent in the world
December 5th, 2007 at 6:07 pm
My husband is sensitive to a lot of scents, so I have to be careful what I wear. I’ve found a few scents that smell good on me and don’t set him sneezing and wheezing and cross-eyed with headaches, and I rotate them seasonally.
In the spring, I use a lot of Stile Jade Blossom, phasing that into Ralph Lauren Rocks for summer, which phases into DKNY Be Delicious, and then into Ralph Lauren Hot for winter.
Sometimes I mix it up — I don’t like wearing the same scent day after day — so, for example, today I am wearing the Rocks even though it’s snowing. And the Stila is what’s in my gym bag, so on exercise class days, that’s what I wear year-round.
December 5th, 2007 at 6:07 pm
Chanel No. 5 — I’ve worn it ever since I was eighteen years old. I still adore it and do hope it never turns on m!
December 5th, 2007 at 6:18 pm
Count me among those who can’t wear most perfumes. Anything with a hint of floral interacts with my skin in a way that makes me smell like I ran across some rancid dog do, rolled around in it, then spritzed cat urine for a finishing touch. I love essential oils and lotions… anything without an alcohol base or strong floral notes generally works. Cucumber/melon scents are a definite fave.
December 5th, 2007 at 7:22 pm
Ah perfume, one topic I could type about all day. I have a large scent wardrobe and like Style Spy, often match my perfume to my outfit. I used to go for a variety of designer scents but once I found Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab ( http://www.blackphoenixalchemylab.com/welcome.html ) and started trying their hand blended scents I’ve hardly picked up those other bottles. I love the uniqueness and the gentle throw that these scents have and they’re all natural and have no alcohol so I find I get less negative reactions to them.
I tend to like dark florals like Shadow Witch Orchid or Queen Mab (”A very complex scent, both shadowy and fierce: black orchid, sandalwood, night-blooming jasmine, osmanthus, Somalian rose, and Chinese musk”) and spicy foody scents like Chimera (”The fiery, volatile scent of cinnamon, thickened by myrrh, honeysuckle, and copal”). My favorite compliment ever came last December when I was wearing Chimera and a guy giving me a hug said I smelled like “Sex and Christmas…in a good way, a very good way” and then he hugged and sniffed again.
I like my perfume to be very subtle, just a hint of scent in the air around me, noticed mostly when you get very close, for a hug or a kiss or a snuggle. I also wear a scent locket quite a bit which has holes for a scent to escape out of. As your body warms the metal it diffuses the scent into the air. It’s a great way to use a scent that doesn’t work with your skin chemisty and perfect for lifting to your nose for a burst of lovely fragrance every now and then.
December 5th, 2007 at 7:26 pm
My new favorite is Peace Train by GapBody, since I adore lavender. Before that, I wore Caswell-Massey’s lavender scent occasionally, but it tended to be too strong for everyday wear.
For nights out or special occasions, it’s always Chanel No. 5, since I was 20 years old. :D
December 5th, 2007 at 7:43 pm
I’m a Chanel No. 5 gal myself, interspersed with Estee Lauder’s “Beautiful”. I used to wear “Passion” (the Elizabeth Taylor scent) in the mid 80’s but it smells “dated” to me now.
December 5th, 2007 at 8:06 pm
I wear Armani’s Acqua di Gio for Women year-round — yes, they make a women’s version. It’s very light, classified as a “water” or “ocean” fragrance. I just think its nice and has a fresh scent, very girly.
As for a perfume that turned on me… Amariage. I used to wear that all the time, loved it, was my signature scent. Then, one day out of the blue, it happened. I suddenly smelled like a grandma, and that was the end of that.
December 5th, 2007 at 10:28 pm
I love trying all different kinds. I’m currently on a “body splash from Bath & Body” kick, mostly due to being in school most of the day & not wanting to overpower my classmates & friends. Obsessions of late: the Brown Sugar & Fig, and the Velvet Amber.
Otherwise, I try to keep a rotation: Be Delicious when I’m feeling more sporty/”All American Girl”, Burberry “Brit” for that in-between-casual-and-office mood, and “Lovely” by SJP when I’m feeling more ’serious’. I ALWAYS come back to Poison by Dior, but I haven’t yet dropped the money on that. It just smells exquisetly sultry to me, and I love it - I just don’t have many occasions to wear it.
And I HAVE had a fragrance turn! I was shocked - I didn’t realize that was possible. In college, I SWORE by Romance by Ralph Lauren. It was innocent and sweet and delicious and just a tad bit sexy - everything I was looking for. About a year after I’d graduated, it just smelled…sour? I still can’t quite place the ’scent’ it developed. Maybe it was the Fragrance Goddesses’ way of telling me to move past the college phase of my life…
December 5th, 2007 at 10:34 pm
I wore #5 all through high school, but now I wear Chergui or Ambre Sultan by Serge Lutens.
For a year or two, I wore Cher’s Uninhibited and would literally have men turning around to chase after me. Sadly, she stopped making it… although, I have been able to do a lot more with my life now that I don’t have as many men sniffing my neck all the live-long day ;)
December 5th, 2007 at 10:49 pm
One Christmas when I was 13 or 14, I got nearly 10 bottles of Love’s Baby Soft, which after 10 minutes on me smells like Play-dough.
Dior’s Addict is my fave traditional perfume, but lately I’ve been wearing a mix of Lush’s Karma and Demeter’s Vanilla Cake Batter for a little more subtle, daytime scent.
December 5th, 2007 at 10:54 pm
I’m one of the no perfume contingant. I go fragrance-free in detergents, deoderants, etc. I’m just too darn sensitive to too many different perfumes. I’ve been known to feel ill when someone else in the next room is wearing perfume.
Then last Christmas, my next-door neighbor gave me a set of scented bath items. They were just generic bath products produced in who-knows-whereville by nobody in particular…but if I could get another set, I’d pay a king’s ransom to get it. Everything smelled like coffee (one of my favorite smells in the world), and IT DIDN’T MAKE ME SICK!!! I’m carefully rationing out the remaining bits and fully expect to cry when I’ve used the last bit of lotion and drained the last bubble out of my bath.
Oh, and Class-Factotum? I’m completely with you about garlic in olive oil and fresh bread. Food smells are the ones that turn me on.
December 5th, 2007 at 11:50 pm
Oh I loooove Fresh Index’s menu of fragrances. My can’t miss? Patchouli Pure. mmmmmm…..
December 6th, 2007 at 12:06 am
Love clinique happy heart for the grown up days and Anna Sui’s flight of fantasy for when i’m feeling girly.
I also sneak into my partner Happy for men, Obsession and bulgari.
From my mother i have a hoard of white linen - which can be a bit overpowering but has amazing staying power, beautiful, bulgari green tea, kenzo and j’adore. These are great for the days when a more mature vibe is needed.
i have a bottle of ylang ylang essential oil that i use very carefully since i can’t find any place that stocks it.
December 6th, 2007 at 12:23 am
This year I’ve been wearing Rosewood by Banana Republic for fall and winter. I have gotten so many compliments on it, especially when I am wearing my RHPS costume where there is more exposed flesh (Yes, big girls can rock it way harder in lingerie than tiny girls!!) So far it’s been pretty good, but I have had a couple of favorites turn on me.
Lucky Girl, smelled great when I was 15, but 3 yrs later I find it smells sour and alcohol-y.
Warm Amber, by Bath and Body Works. Last year when I started wearing it, it smelled sweet, musky, sexy. Now it smells like black licorice and mold now. Makes me sad, seeing as how I bought that giant bottle…
December 6th, 2007 at 12:47 am
I pretty much stick to what works for me (Ginvenchy Organza) Experimenting tends to result in mass evacuations of the building because of the fear that the stench wafting around the room is a biohazard or urban warfare….
December 6th, 2007 at 1:52 am
This summer in Buenos Aires I picked up a bottle of Il Aroma di L’Erbario bebe cologne. It’s so common as to be sold in supermarkets in BA, but here in Los Angeles it’s a rarity. It’s a spicy mix with lemon and lavender. I wear it on the workdays.
On the weekends I wear Vanilla de Madagascar by an indie label that is sadly out of business at the moment, Scent by Spirit. The boyfriend loves it! :) Will need to find a new vanilla soon, I fear….
That being said, my signature scent since college for important events, interviews, etc. is Red Door by Elizabeth Arden. It’s confidence in a bottle, and people line up single-file to compliment the scent whenever I wear it.
December 6th, 2007 at 2:12 am
I don’t wear perfumes often, but my favorite specialty soaps (I have skin issues) are licorice, citrus, basil, cedar, and almond scented. Not at the same time, though. I kind of want to start wearing scent, but I don’t know if I’ll find any that fit my particular tastes.
December 6th, 2007 at 3:48 am
any suggestions for a good site on perfumes? i’m looking for one that has good descriptions of the what notes are in the fragrance as well as suggestions on what other fragrances a person might like based on thing they already wear. i very much regret not being able to wear cabochard de gres. it smelled so good a mossy adn woodsy at first but would leave me with a sweet smell that would give me a headache - kinda like the way patchouli is for people who don’t like it.
December 6th, 2007 at 5:09 am
Like so many, I loved Chanel No. 5 and wore it from the age of 15 until just after I had my third child. Something changed and YUCK it smells awful on me!! After nearly fifteen Wilderness years, where I wandered from fragrance to fragrance, I have now found L’eau de Issey and it is DIVINE. I am in love again.
December 6th, 2007 at 10:01 am
I also bounce around from fragrance to fragrance. My current fave is Faded Jasmine from Gap. Jasmine is the only floral scent I like to wear — all others are just too cloying (and of course, what does my mother always buy me? Floral scents!) I also love Angel — am hoping that the husband might get me some for xmas. Food scents, green scents and warm, ambery scents are the way to go for me.
I can’t say that I’ve had a perfume turn on me, but that’s probably because I’ve never stuck with any perfume long enough for that to happen. There are a couple of scents that I loathe, though — Estee Lauder Youth Dew being one of them, not because of the scent itself, but due to knowing people who would put on SO much of it that I would actually be able to TASTE their perfume going down my throat.
December 6th, 2007 at 10:03 am
Aromatics Elixir by Clinique for the last 25+ years. It smells great on me, lasts forever and not everyone else is wearing it. At home I have several scented candles that work for different moods - lavender votives for those days when calm is needed, hyacinth and grapefruit tealights for parties. Olive oil and garlic when I need to cook up something special for Mr. Carol…
December 6th, 2007 at 11:42 am
My current favorite is Allure Sensuelle by Chanel, but I only wear it when going out. My previous going out favorite is Omnia by Bvlgari, and I still wear it occasionally. Every day perfumes are Bvlgari Au the Blanc and Bvlgari original. In middle school/highschool, I wore Charlie RELIGIOUSLY. Thankfully, I am no longer stuck wearing drugstore perfume. :)
December 6th, 2007 at 11:54 am
For years I wore Clinique Happy, and then switched to Chanel No. 5. But lately I felt as though I needed something a bit lighter, or different, so I have been wearing Neroli Jasmin from The Body Shop and I love it. It’s light and airy but also festive and a bit indulgent. I love it!
December 6th, 2007 at 1:09 pm
My all time favorite remains Coco by Chanel. I have to admit I prefer the Eau de Toilette to the Eau de Parfum but either way I love it. My next two favorites are Knowing by Estee Lauder and Youth Dew Amber Nude created by Tom Ford for Estee Lauder
December 6th, 2007 at 1:48 pm
I’m with Leah on the Bath&Body Works Jasmine Vanilla scent–it does drive men wild, or my husband at any rate. Of course, the fact that I bought it in the form of massage oil might help….
I don’t usually wear perfume, although I have some Estee Lauder “Pure White Linen” that a relative gave me which I quite like. I am quite fond of meyer lemon-scented lotion, as it is a light, food-ish scent.
December 6th, 2007 at 3:02 pm
I only wear Obsession by Calvin Klein, and have ever since I was 16, which is … well, it’s sort of sad, actually. But Obsession smells delicious on me and makes me feel delicious and really, what more can you ask for in a scent?
I also love love LOVE Sheer Obsession, which was the lighter version that CK came out with a while ago and was perfect for daytime, but it’s harder and harder to find now that it’s discontinued.
December 6th, 2007 at 3:40 pm
Allure by Chanel, hands down. Delicious.
December 6th, 2007 at 4:06 pm
[…] Manolo says, the Big Girls ask, what is your signature scent? […]
December 6th, 2007 at 4:23 pm
Flower Bomb for dress up and LAVanilla for everyday. I used to wear Fendi and then they stopped importing it, now I find it too strong. A wonderful scent is Shiseido’s Feminite duBois… very cedar and rich. Also, not imported anymore but thank goodness for the internet.
December 6th, 2007 at 5:09 pm
I’m partial to amber based scents and other warm, dry, resiny scents. My current obsession is Ambre Russe from Parfum d’Empire which is an amber/tea/spice sort of scent. I have a little trial size vial and I’m in love, but scraping together the cash for it during the holidays… not so much.
The fresh, clean american type scents smell horrible on me. Good on other people, but they get a sour note when they hit my skin. And I hate super flowery perfumes.
December 6th, 2007 at 5:20 pm
My mother gave me a bottle of Chanel No. 5 — the top screwed off, and you upturned it onto your fingertip before dabbing. Over the years, the oils from her finger and then later mine changed it into something MAGICAL on me. Unfortunately, new bottles just don’t have the same quality.
I wear Creed’s Angelique Encens most of the time, and sometimes Creed’s Fleurissimo.
December 6th, 2007 at 5:52 pm
I don’t have a huge range of perfumes and I tend to think of perfumes in colors so I tend to match them with what I’m wearing. I also like some of what are considered “weird” scents.
My loves are:
Chanel No. 19
Issey Miyaki L’eau de Issey
Stella
Origins Ginger
Sake by Fresh
Jo Malone’s Nectarine Blossom & Honey as well as her White Jasmine & Mint
Bvglari White Tea
I love Annick Goutal’s Petite Cherie and Ce Soir Ou Jamais, but they are kind of pricy.
There are few others, but those are my faves. I’m currently sampling a bunch of scents though LuckyScents.com vials. I bought a whole slew of them and am comig up with more to get.
Luv
Poochie
December 6th, 2007 at 6:28 pm
I have about 30 different perfumes on the dressing table, but the ones I keep coming back to are warm, lush scents. Helmut Lang is DIVINE — a grown up version of Bonne Bell Skin Musk. It’s subtle, but when men get close enough to smell, they love it. Comptoir Sud Pacifique’s Coeur de Vahine (formerly Les Enfants du Soleil) is a great summery fragrance, like a spicy creamsicle. I wear it alone in summer and in fall/winter, I layer it with a vanilla body lotion to bring out the base notes. Last, I’m still in love with Jo Malone’s Nutmeg Ginger. It must be used sparingly, however, since it’s a very strong fragrance.
Neller, if you like Poison, take a whiff of Hypnotic Poison. It has lusher base notes (of vanilla, maybe?) and smells like seduction in a slinky red satin dress.
December 6th, 2007 at 6:30 pm
Byzance, by Rochas. Last Christmas I made hubby buy me three bottles on eBay, because you simply can’t find it in stores in North America any more - though I understand it’s still available in France.
There’s tuberose and sandalwood and musk and other things that I can’t remember that are simply divine, and I’ve never smelled another perfume that I like so well. The Body Shoppe’s white musk comes close, but isn’t, quite.
The pity is that my body chemistry seams to eat perfume, so it’s barely detectable an hour after I put it on - and that’s the eau de parfum not even just the eau de toilette *sigh*.
December 6th, 2007 at 6:31 pm
Pamplelune by Gerlain. It’s not sold in the States anymore (except at Sephora) so I have stockpiled a stash from a duty free website.
December 6th, 2007 at 6:36 pm
I am ruled by my sense of smell. I love perfume. On men, I love cologne.
In the summer I wear Issey Miyake or Sui Love by Anna Sui.
Fall and winter usually finds me wearing Eau de Mervielles by Hermes or my current fave, Supermodel from Victoria’s Secret. Both are hard to place and I frequently get complimented on them.
God bless whoever created the classic Abercrombie and Fitch for men cologne. It reminds me of my 19 year-old o-chem lab partner. Sexy and so dangerous, all at the same time…
December 6th, 2007 at 6:49 pm
Dior Addict for winter, Philosophy Falling in Love or Clinique Happy to Be in summer (except that my Happy to Be got stolen from a hotel room).
My current favorite websites for learning more about perfumes:
Now Smell This: http://nowsmellthis.blogharbor.com/blog
and
Perfume Posse: http://perfumeposse.com/
December 6th, 2007 at 7:13 pm
Most days for work I wear Chance by Chanel.
Also like Hermés Jardin sur Nil, the original Marc Jacobs, and Sonia Rykiel Rose.
December 6th, 2007 at 7:47 pm
DKNY is my everyday; I love citrusy scents, and that’s a good one. For special occasions I wear Calvin Klein Contradiction, but it’s too strong for everyday.
December 6th, 2007 at 7:57 pm
Fendi… it is dark and spicy and I’ve worn it for almost 20 years. For a little while it was impossible to find in Canada and then suddenly came back…
I love it and it smells wonderful on me and I find that it fades (1 spritz) for day and has great staying power (2 spritz) for evening…
December 6th, 2007 at 8:15 pm
Most days I stick to the lingering aroma of my Dove white bar soap. Otherwise, I love Just Cavalli Her, which I use sparingly because I’m running out and it’s been discontinued. My new favorite is Valentino V. I’m one of those people who has to be very careful about scents. I’ve found out the hard way that many scents that smell great to me in the bottle turn nasty on my body. Gucci Rush is an example.
And I love a good-smelling man.
December 6th, 2007 at 9:30 pm
I wear Champs Elysees by Guerlain, no matter the season. It was the first and only scent that ever smelled good to me on one of those magazine inserts. It’s floral but also woodsy and somehow, to me, does not seem too girlie.
In the 90s I wore Tresor by Lancome. I loved it. Now, it’s not as if it smells awful to me, but just completely nondescript. Weird.
In the 1980s I wore Oscar by Oscar de la Renta even though it was completely too old for me. Then all of a sudden it smelled “dated,” as Babs said above about Poison. Recently I sniffed a bottle again in a store, and it smelled wonderful again. Maybe it’s time to bring it back into my wardrobe.
When I’m really grown up (smile) I’ll wear Shalimar, which my mother always wore. You can’t go wrong with Guerlain.
December 6th, 2007 at 10:46 pm
I change scents pretty much daily, but my “signature” scent would be a basil-based scent that was custom blended for me by Mandrake Apothecary (www.mandrakeapothecary.com). I actually have about a dozen of Mandrake’s scents, and I love them all! Jezebel would probably be my second favourite Mandrake scent.
For people who are perfume sensitive, I highly recommend trying Mandrake - the perfumes are synthetic-free, made from all manner of essential oils, absolutes and extracts and made in very small batches by a very talented perfumer…
December 6th, 2007 at 11:01 pm
The Annalucia has but one scent : “Imperatrice” from Hove Parfumeur in New Orleans. It is heavy and rich, and suits her perfectly.
December 7th, 2007 at 12:52 am
I used to really like Casma by Caswell-Massey, but they no longer make it, sadly. I have some that I ration out, I love to pretend I’m a 1920s starlet about to go into a speakeasy.
Currently, I’m a big fan of Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab’s (http://www.blackphoenixalchemylab.com/welcome.html) blends, mostly because I can spend hours on the site reading all of the descriptions. Currently, I’m a fan of Vice (deep chocolate, cherry, & orange blossom) and a “voodoo blend” called Follow Me Boy.
I’m also a huge fan of the Flying Fox (jasmine & honey) body wash and temple balm by Lush. I’m glad that Lush is making more solid perfumes, but saddned that they aren’t continuing Flying Fox– that stuff really is great for PMS.
December 7th, 2007 at 1:21 am
I’m another one for fragrance free products!
I’m sort of a hippie though and I rub a little vanilla or almond extract behind my ears b/c it’s such a warm scent. Plus I rationalise the stuff is about 35% alcohol anyway.
December 7th, 2007 at 2:30 am
I loved Chanel’s Allure when I first got married and wore it for years. When I got pregnant about five years later I found myself smelling “wrong” somehow, I think it was much too strong. I craved a body butter that The Body Shop made in an earthy olive scent and I wore that throughout my pregnancy. It just smelled very right to me. I still love that scent, but rarely wear it anymore. I wear different scents now, more seasonal. Usually with fruit or herbal scents.
December 7th, 2007 at 2:32 am
Incidentally, my husband never has much of an opinion on my scents. He says as long as I smell better than him, he’s fine with it!
December 7th, 2007 at 4:00 am
Yeah Lunakitsch, another BPAL fan over here! I’ve heard it said that Lush is a gateway drug for BPAL :-). Flying fox is gorgeous and I too am sad it’s being discontinued. I never could get it to have any lasting power on me though :(.
Canadian Chick, Mandrake sounds interesting, thanks for mentioning it. Not that I need any more perfume mind you; I probably have enough to last me the rest of my life if it wouldn’t go bad! But I get such joy out of discovering new scents and I LOVE supporting small artists in industries like perfume which are mostly dominated by large corporations.
December 7th, 2007 at 4:50 am
M: try basenotes.net
I too have funny body chemistry, so can wear very few scents/they turn on me quickly. I adored Fresh Index Olive Muscade and Moroccan Mint Tea, both now out of production. I used to like Hermes Eau de Cologne/d’Orange Vert. Or in summer, Hermes Amazone, though that now smells too saccharine on me.
Both in an attempt to avoid having them turn on me and to reduce the amount of potentially carcinogenic chemicals that get absorbed through the skin from cosmetics and scents (but still smell good), I’ve recently been experimenting with more natural brands of eau de cologne and eau de parfum, like Terra Nova and Aubrey Organics, and layering them. And Weleda makes nice highly natural moisturizers that have strong scents from the included essential oils. Other people have commented positively on how those smell, perhaps making perfume unnecessary.
December 7th, 2007 at 6:30 am
Angel in wintertime, and I love Herve Leger for warmer weather.
When I am feeling “low maintenance”, vanilla spice products from the Body Shop.
December 7th, 2007 at 6:38 am
Mine’s definitely Dolce and Gabanna for Women. Perfect amount of deliciousness and spice. I wore this the first time I met my boyfriend and to this day he smells my clothes when I’m not around. :)
December 7th, 2007 at 11:50 am
The de prefers Aveda products - they like her skin and hair best, she’s found.
I use Rosemary Mint shower gel and hand lotion, so I often smell of it, but I do have a little roll on of Aveda Love - it makes me so happy. It smells like rosemary, cooking spices and brown sugar….:D.
I can’t wear florals usually, and I can’t wear vanillas - I smell like sour milk :(.
But for a while I did dabble in making my own at a lovely little store called Bath Junkie - you can mix your own scents and they’ll put them in a little spray bottle - I mixed tea rose and peppermint. :D It’s my backup for when I forget my little vial of Love.
All three make me feel superfantastic.
December 7th, 2007 at 2:54 pm
We all seem to have read the same Cosmo article about men and vanilla!!
My usual is Vanilla Fields (which is getting harder to find these days!). It gets me a lot of compliments from both genders, and women are always shocked it’s a cheapie drugstore perfume when I tell them.
In the winter I like something a bit heavier, like Warm Vanilla Sugar from bath and body works, or just essential oils.
December 7th, 2007 at 4:39 pm
I don’t really wear perfume, but I am a SUCKER for cheapo girly body spray. Bath and Body Works, The Healing Garden, stuff like that. I don’t go overboard on it, and it dissipates in like an hour or two anyway.
I used to like Lancome’s Miracle–the first half of the bottle always seemed so fresh and light and feminine without being too floral or fruity–but after awhile, it really did “turn” on me. I had the bottle for several years, so maybe my skin chemistry changed during that time.
I do like some colognes on guys - Armani’s Acqua di Gio comes to mind–but I don’t like it when guys douse themselves in cheap cologne. Guys, please learn how to apply it sparingly–especially in cramped environments like mass transit!
Another thing I absolutely can’t pull off is heavier, muskier, amber-y scents. I kind of wish I could, because they’re so grown-up and elegant, but something about my skin chemistry makes it smell too man-ish on me. I’d love to find a nice light watery/rainy scent but I don’t know where to start.
December 7th, 2007 at 5:05 pm
Add me to the vanilla chorus… I’ve been wearing some version of it since I was 18. Although, I used to LOVE Crabtree & Evelyn’s Vanilla, but then they discontinued the perfume and it’s nearly impossible to find now.
I’ve been wearing the Body Shop’s vanilla (not too sweet, not too flowery), but it lasts about 2 minutes on me, so I’d been looking for something something new.
Recently, I’ve been inspired by your fabulous post on samples and decants (I had no idea!) and I’ve just ordered a bunch of samples so I hope I’ll have a new signature scent soon (even if it’s just a new variation on a warm comforting vanilla!)
December 7th, 2007 at 5:11 pm
I am madly in love with 24, Faubourg by Hermes. I dislike overly fruity, floral, girly smells, and “fresh” perfumes smell like chemicals on me, but 24, Faubourg is heady and ladylike without being obnoxious: orange blossom, jasmine, a little vanilla and sandalwood. For more casual days, I buy travel-sized roll-ons of Crabtree and Evelyn’s Evelyn Rose, which is light and pretty and not saccharine.
December 7th, 2007 at 5:26 pm
Also, I love when men wear good cologne. Recently I smelled Kenneth Cole RSVP: mmmm.
December 7th, 2007 at 6:08 pm
My absolute signature scent is the original Dali. Just smelling it makes me relax. I also have a lovely oil by Planetary Perfumes called Hematite. And if I’m feeling casual and summery, since I have a lot of grapefruit-scented bath products, I’ll use So Pink from the Gap.
As for turning on me, I don’t know but there are a lot of perfumes that I used to wear that I’ll smell now and be like ‘Really? I used to like this?” Such as LouLou, Pavlova, and L’air du Temps.
December 7th, 2007 at 7:07 pm
Lolita Lempicka’s original scent is fabulous, as is Ralph by Ralph Lauren (ahhhh the memories!). I will FOLLOW a man who wears Carolina Hererra’s 212 degrees ANYWHERE in the world.
December 8th, 2007 at 12:47 am
Vera Wang Princess and VS Very Sexy are my favorites right now.
December 8th, 2007 at 1:09 am
if you like BPAL, you’ll LOVE Mandrake. The same creativity is at play, but the scents are all botanically based, unlike BPAL which uses a lot of synthetics.
not that synthetics are bad - I’ve got a lot of those too!
December 8th, 2007 at 1:43 am
My “signature scent” is Bath and Body Works Mango Mandarin body splash. I love it because it’s so light and fruity that I can just spray it everywhere and it’s never too strong or heady.
My boyfriend’s cologne is some generic NFL brand, but I always connect that smell with the good times we’ve had together over the two and a half years we’ve been dating. Right now he’s working seasonally at a Christmas tree farm, and he smells like pine all the time. I can’t stop smelling him! :-)
December 8th, 2007 at 7:24 am
Actually Canadian Chick, BPAL uses no synthetics. To quote one of their employees from the forum “it’s ALL 100% natural. The Lab uses no synthetics.”
~Kim
December 8th, 2007 at 8:02 am
I’ve been crazy about perfume since I was about 5 years old; I remember making a special trip downtown with my mother so we could go to Simpson’s, at that time a huge department store in Toronto, where she bought a gold and pink purse-sized atomizer of Miss Balmain perfume. It was a Big Deal, I got a lovely spritz of the perfume to wear home after our day out shopping, and I felt very grown up and sophisticated, like my mommy. Now I’ve got dozens of bottles on my dressing table, but the ones I love the most are the most difficult to find.
As a teenager, I wore Guerlain’s Nahema (and later, YSL Paris, similar and available, since Nahema was discontinued). I still love YSL Rive Gauche and Nu; Chanel Cristalle and Allure; Shalimar, Jicky, and Rosa Magnifica by Guerlain (but try to find that last one now) Lancome’s Magie Noir, and my real fave, Issey Miyake’s Le Feu.
The ones that get the most compliments: Fracas, Hermes Rouge, Guerlain’s Samsara, Givenchy Organza, and Nocturnes by Caron, a blend of amber, vertiver, and lily of the valley, among other things.
I love a great smelling man, too: if he’s wearing Estee Lauder’s JHL, I’m in trouble. Otherwise, Chanel Pour Homme, Dior’s Eau Sauvage, or Aveda’s dry, delicious “Men” scent.
December 8th, 2007 at 4:25 pm
Kimocean, I know they say that, but I’m very very skeptical of their definition of natural. There are some essences that are just not practical or safe in their natural form, that most companies either eliminate or use the “nature-identical” form of.
but, this isn’t the place for that discussion, is it? *grin*
December 8th, 2007 at 5:10 pm
I’ll drop the discussion after this Canadian Chick, but I’ve come to know Beth (the founder of BPAL) in real life and I’ve never met anyone whose business integrity was so high. It’s part of why I enjoy supporting the company. I have a hard time believing she’d say it was 100% natural if it wasn’t. She did elaborate apprenticeships in herbal work and scent work for many years before starting BPAL and I’ve heard her talk about how she has worked to perfect bouquets (blends of other natural ingredients) to replicate scents that aren’t available or safe in natural form.
I’m not entirely against synthetics in perfumes and still love some of my more traditional perfumes that do use them but with BPAL I’m pretty certain I’m getting a 100% natural product.
December 10th, 2007 at 2:22 am
I have worn Paloma Picasso since i was 19, (I am now 40). I have been stopped on the street three times in Manhattan and three times in Boston, by persons of both sexes asking what I was wearing. I took that as a good sign! I usually wear it in the evening and only dab on a little as it is very strong. For eeryday, I tend to wear a rosemary/mint body spray. It has such a fresh smell and make smy skin tingle!
December 10th, 2007 at 7:43 am
I wear Donna Karan’s Black Cashmere. It was discontinued a couple of years ago, but I was lucky enough to find out in time to buy a huge bottle (which is still sealed, as I had just bought one a month before that which is just now running out). I’m not quite sure what I’ll do when that one’s gone… Occasionally I’ve been wearing Prada instead, but even though I love it, it’s not quite “the one.”
I’ve gone through “signature scents” over the years- they usually last 2-3 years and then I move on. Past ones have been Paris, Paloma Picasso, Hypnotic Poison, and Cashmere Mist (which is the lightest one I’ve ever managed to pull off) alternated with random body shop/bbw sprays in the summer. The heavier scents work with my chemistry- lighter ones disappear completely, citrus turns rank the second it hits my skin, and heavy, spicy perfume actually smells much lighter on me than on others. Fortunately.
December 10th, 2007 at 6:44 pm
I’ll wear Stella by Stella McCartney any day. The amber and tuberose work all seasons. In the summer, I tend toward the honeysuckle and jasmine in Marc Jacobs. My absolute favorite, hands-down, is a layering of two Creed scents. It’s a bit too heavy for summer in Texas, but worth it anyway. I layer white flowers and original santal together…so fine.
December 25th, 2007 at 2:17 pm
To the Kimocean and the Lunakitsch: Thank you! After reading your comments about Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, and particularly Lunakitsch’s description of the Vice scent (I am a fiend for chocolate scents), I visited the website and ordered some Vice and also some Gluttony and some Eden. They arrived yesterday and they are fantastic! I’ve found in recent years that I can’t tolerate most traditional perfumes any more — something about the alcohol content makes them all smell a bit off to me. But these perfume oils are wonderful! Plus, they included a huge pile of samples with my order. I’m going to order more scents this week. Thanks, y’all!