About Fragrance
Oct. 31st, 2006 05:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rhienellethI know quite a few of you on my f-list care about scent and what you wear - I see the various bpal postings from time to time, and intrigued, have checked them out myself. If I didn't have my very favorite, beloved, dare-I-say 'signature scent', I'd probably check it out more (pocketbook-wise).
A recent fragrance issue my friend L had has had me thinking about fragrance for a couple of days, now. As with everything Iobsess over think about in depth, I'm going to post about it. I'm hoping to get some good comments and maybe some scent discussion going on!
Let me just start by saying this: There is definitely a right and a wrong way to wear scent. The wrong way encompasses a variety of variables. First of all, you get what you pay for when it comes to fragrance. Buying something cheap and spritzing it on liberally to make sure it lasts through the day is a common and irritating mistake, to the rest of us who don't want to be overpowered by whatever it is you're wearing. Research the scent you like. Find out the percentage of actual extract used, vs. alcohol and water content. This has a huge impact on the staying power of the product. A quickie guide for quality fragrances:
Eau de Parfum: 16-25%
Eau de Toilette: 11-15%
Eau de Cologne: 3-4%
Obviously the Eau de Parfum is the stronger frangrance, only a couple of drops or a very light "misting" application is necessary to effectively last through the day, no reapplication necessary. Whatever you do, don't over-applicate!
I searched for a long time before finding the right scent for me. My first bottle of fragrance was the classic Chanel #5, a gift for my birthday from my mother, I think when I was 15 or so. I wore it for years, and it smelled nice enough, but at that age, any perfume was "special" and nice smelling, and I had no basis to decide if the scent was really "for me". Shortly after high school, when I was feeling that adult and on-your-own kind of freedom, I visited the cosmetics counter at the local department store, and rather liked Jessica McClintock's signature scent more than my old Chanel. I thought $55 was a good deal to spend on perfume! Again, I wore the scent for some time, though the "magic" quickly waned - it was all right, smelled good, but not spectacular enough to have me buying more when the bottle ran out. For a long time, I didn't bother with fragrance beyond the hair products I used.
Then, in 1999, I went on a cruise to the Bahamas. At a Duty Free shop, I fell in love with a scent called Angel. Fell. In. Love. They were doing all kinds of samples, and the scent intrigued me enough to try it on. Mark and I wandered some other shops for awhile, and as the scent aclimated to my body chemistry, it softened and became this subtly sensual spin of chocolate, vanilla, caramel, and spice that somehow didn't smell like food at all. It was heady without being strong, alluring without being intrusive, and had me sniffing my wrist every few minutes as I wavered over the price. Even duty free and discounted, it was prohibitively expensive for a bottle of fragrance, in my mind.
It was so different from the light floral, heavy musk, or melony scents that were so common and popular back home, and I didn't leave that day without buying some. Mark actually insisted. He said if I loved it that much, I'd regret it forever if I didn't buy it. So I did. And I've never regretted spending that money, and I've never bothered browsing any other scents since, because I love it that much. I think that little blue, star shaped bottle cost me $70-80, and lasted me almost two years as I hoarded it and only used it when going out, or when I needed that little pick me up wearing a nice scent can give you.
When I started getting low, I went on a search to find it again here in the States. As it turned out, Nordstrom's carried it, and not only that, but Angel had something inovative that other fragrances didn't - refillable bottles! That little blue star could be refilled from a huge stainless steel dispenser behind the counter, for less money than buying it duty free had been, and certainly less than what a new bottle would cost me. I was delighted, and even started wearing it more often, being a little less frugal about my daily scent.
The point is, I found the right scent for me. I use it lightly, applying it carefully both to avoid waste, and not to overpower those around me. Angel is definitely an expensive perfume, and while not all expensive things are good, I really don't feel it can be stated too much - in fragrance, you really do get what you pay for. In my search for Angel, I asked at several stores. Inevitably, I was told "No, we don't carry it, but we DO have this one that is very similar..." Similar is so not the same. Not even close. I have never, ever in my life had a scent that made me want to get closer, to smell it more, like Angel does. Most perfumes put me off (epsecially if over applied or too strong), but Angel draws me in. That's how I know it's right for me. It also lasts long enough that I'll often wake up the next morning with my wrist next to my head, and think "Wow, I can still smell that ever so faintly. Mmm."
So, my friend L. She has a scent that is for her what Angel is for me. It's called Escada Collection, and no, that is not a collection of varying scents as you might think, but the actual name of one particular perfume. Each year in the Fall/Winter, Escada releases this scent in a special bottle designed to match their fashion line of the season. I don't believe you can find this scent at other times of the year - it is an exclusive Fall/Winter availablitity. L stumbled across it by accident one day, while she was bored waiting for her sister in the store. The bottle cost her over $100, but after she tried it on, she couldn't leave the store without it. For the past three Christmases, she has enlisted various people to get it for her as a Christmas gift. Each time, she tells them "Now, it's not the regular Escada (which she thinks smells 'old lady-ish'). It's Escada Collection, and it's in a kind of heart shaped bottle. It's one of their most expensive fragrances." Each time, each of these people had bought her the wrong scent, with no real way to exchange it. (She tried once, but the store was already out of Escada Collection, and we don't live in an area that has more than one store carrying it.)
So, this year, I found it for her and ordered her a bottle. Cause Lord knows no one else was smart enough to find the right fragrance! I'm super excited to give it to her, even though it was pretty expensive, even at a discount retailer price. (Apparently these bottles retail for $150 - I got it for $85.) At the same time, I found a nicely sized 3.4 oz refillable container of Angel which I ordered for myself, along w/a refillable travel bottle. I am excited. I love my little blue star, but I will feel like I have to be much less frugal with a large bottle on hand. I get compliments when I wear it, and the inevitable question "What is that fragrance you're wearing?", but even if I didn't, I would still wear it just for me. Kinda like when we women wear sexy underwear - most of the time, no one but us is going to see it, but we know, and it gives us kind of a feminine boost to the ego. That's how I feel about my perfume.
So, my question for you all is this: Do you have a 'signature scent'? What is it? How did you discover it? What do you love about it?
A recent fragrance issue my friend L had has had me thinking about fragrance for a couple of days, now. As with everything I
Let me just start by saying this: There is definitely a right and a wrong way to wear scent. The wrong way encompasses a variety of variables. First of all, you get what you pay for when it comes to fragrance. Buying something cheap and spritzing it on liberally to make sure it lasts through the day is a common and irritating mistake, to the rest of us who don't want to be overpowered by whatever it is you're wearing. Research the scent you like. Find out the percentage of actual extract used, vs. alcohol and water content. This has a huge impact on the staying power of the product. A quickie guide for quality fragrances:
Eau de Parfum: 16-25%
Eau de Toilette: 11-15%
Eau de Cologne: 3-4%
Obviously the Eau de Parfum is the stronger frangrance, only a couple of drops or a very light "misting" application is necessary to effectively last through the day, no reapplication necessary. Whatever you do, don't over-applicate!
I searched for a long time before finding the right scent for me. My first bottle of fragrance was the classic Chanel #5, a gift for my birthday from my mother, I think when I was 15 or so. I wore it for years, and it smelled nice enough, but at that age, any perfume was "special" and nice smelling, and I had no basis to decide if the scent was really "for me". Shortly after high school, when I was feeling that adult and on-your-own kind of freedom, I visited the cosmetics counter at the local department store, and rather liked Jessica McClintock's signature scent more than my old Chanel. I thought $55 was a good deal to spend on perfume! Again, I wore the scent for some time, though the "magic" quickly waned - it was all right, smelled good, but not spectacular enough to have me buying more when the bottle ran out. For a long time, I didn't bother with fragrance beyond the hair products I used.
Then, in 1999, I went on a cruise to the Bahamas. At a Duty Free shop, I fell in love with a scent called Angel. Fell. In. Love. They were doing all kinds of samples, and the scent intrigued me enough to try it on. Mark and I wandered some other shops for awhile, and as the scent aclimated to my body chemistry, it softened and became this subtly sensual spin of chocolate, vanilla, caramel, and spice that somehow didn't smell like food at all. It was heady without being strong, alluring without being intrusive, and had me sniffing my wrist every few minutes as I wavered over the price. Even duty free and discounted, it was prohibitively expensive for a bottle of fragrance, in my mind.
It was so different from the light floral, heavy musk, or melony scents that were so common and popular back home, and I didn't leave that day without buying some. Mark actually insisted. He said if I loved it that much, I'd regret it forever if I didn't buy it. So I did. And I've never regretted spending that money, and I've never bothered browsing any other scents since, because I love it that much. I think that little blue, star shaped bottle cost me $70-80, and lasted me almost two years as I hoarded it and only used it when going out, or when I needed that little pick me up wearing a nice scent can give you.
When I started getting low, I went on a search to find it again here in the States. As it turned out, Nordstrom's carried it, and not only that, but Angel had something inovative that other fragrances didn't - refillable bottles! That little blue star could be refilled from a huge stainless steel dispenser behind the counter, for less money than buying it duty free had been, and certainly less than what a new bottle would cost me. I was delighted, and even started wearing it more often, being a little less frugal about my daily scent.
The point is, I found the right scent for me. I use it lightly, applying it carefully both to avoid waste, and not to overpower those around me. Angel is definitely an expensive perfume, and while not all expensive things are good, I really don't feel it can be stated too much - in fragrance, you really do get what you pay for. In my search for Angel, I asked at several stores. Inevitably, I was told "No, we don't carry it, but we DO have this one that is very similar..." Similar is so not the same. Not even close. I have never, ever in my life had a scent that made me want to get closer, to smell it more, like Angel does. Most perfumes put me off (epsecially if over applied or too strong), but Angel draws me in. That's how I know it's right for me. It also lasts long enough that I'll often wake up the next morning with my wrist next to my head, and think "Wow, I can still smell that ever so faintly. Mmm."
So, my friend L. She has a scent that is for her what Angel is for me. It's called Escada Collection, and no, that is not a collection of varying scents as you might think, but the actual name of one particular perfume. Each year in the Fall/Winter, Escada releases this scent in a special bottle designed to match their fashion line of the season. I don't believe you can find this scent at other times of the year - it is an exclusive Fall/Winter availablitity. L stumbled across it by accident one day, while she was bored waiting for her sister in the store. The bottle cost her over $100, but after she tried it on, she couldn't leave the store without it. For the past three Christmases, she has enlisted various people to get it for her as a Christmas gift. Each time, she tells them "Now, it's not the regular Escada (which she thinks smells 'old lady-ish'). It's Escada Collection, and it's in a kind of heart shaped bottle. It's one of their most expensive fragrances." Each time, each of these people had bought her the wrong scent, with no real way to exchange it. (She tried once, but the store was already out of Escada Collection, and we don't live in an area that has more than one store carrying it.)
So, this year, I found it for her and ordered her a bottle. Cause Lord knows no one else was smart enough to find the right fragrance! I'm super excited to give it to her, even though it was pretty expensive, even at a discount retailer price. (Apparently these bottles retail for $150 - I got it for $85.) At the same time, I found a nicely sized 3.4 oz refillable container of Angel which I ordered for myself, along w/a refillable travel bottle. I am excited. I love my little blue star, but I will feel like I have to be much less frugal with a large bottle on hand. I get compliments when I wear it, and the inevitable question "What is that fragrance you're wearing?", but even if I didn't, I would still wear it just for me. Kinda like when we women wear sexy underwear - most of the time, no one but us is going to see it, but we know, and it gives us kind of a feminine boost to the ego. That's how I feel about my perfume.
So, my question for you all is this: Do you have a 'signature scent'? What is it? How did you discover it? What do you love about it?
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no subject
Date: 2006-10-31 07:38 pm (UTC)Everyday:
1. Kiehls bodywash in Coriander + Coriander lotion.. no perfrume
2. Fresh's lemon sugar lotion + Sugar perfrume
3. Philosophy Grace -- body wash + lotion + perfume
4. L'Eau Par Kenzo
5. Jo Malone Nutmeg + Ginger lotion + Cologne
Special Days:
1. Michael Kors... for when Mr. Pie isn't around as he is allergic to it :-)
2. Helmut Lang... Used to be what I wore every day but since they stopped making it in the US, I have to be very careful with it.
So, basically for me, scent is something to play with.. Change it up day-to-day based on moods, events etc. And always try to layer it so there is more depth to the actual scent :-)
I've always worn a "signature scent"
Date: 2006-10-31 08:36 pm (UTC)I've worn it for so long, it seems a part of me. I'm almost out of the body wash, and have a decent supply of the body spray. The two together make for a long lasting subtle scent.
I don't know what I'm going to do now...
no subject
Date: 2006-10-31 08:42 pm (UTC)I wear peach essential oil from the Body Shop. Simple, but it's the same thing as you mentioned. When I wear it, it warms to my body and the scent it gives off is warm and sensual. On occasion I also wear amber - as in, I have a chunk of amber resin and I rub a little on my pulse points and off I go. It also has a warm scent. I used to also wear essential strawberry oil from an herbalist's shop - same thing. They all make me feel like it's a warm lazy, sensual summer day; the fruit is freshly picked, perfectly ripe and juicy, with that warmth you only get from sundrenched fruits that you eat straight off the vine or tree. Mmmm
no subject
Date: 2006-10-31 09:25 pm (UTC)From what I've been told, it's the original Cologne (coming from Koln, Germany). It's light and subtle and quite the picker-upper. My uncle bought my aunt a bottle when they were in Germany but she didn't like it, so she gave it to me when I was visiting them. I've worn it ever since. It's difficult to find; I can only get it at a specialty perfume store in Alderwood Mall, but I think I can order it from the internet. I tend to buy the biggest bottle they have and use an atomizer.
It cools me in the summer time and reminds me of summer in the winter. I. Love. It. I want to do our bedroom in its turquoise and gold colors. If I can find the right shade of blue in bedding, that is.
When I perform, however, I do use a stronger scent. A tuberose perfume, long since discontinued. The heavier scent puts me in a different frame of mind so it's not goofy me dancing, but magical Roxelana.
Of course, now you make me want to check out Angel. (-:
no subject
Date: 2006-10-31 09:47 pm (UTC)I wear perfume almost every day, and always before I leave the house. Your friend will love you forever, I can't believe you spent that much for her! How sweet.
no subject
Date: 2006-10-31 10:31 pm (UTC)How odd that Mr. Pie is allergic to one perfume, but not another. I have friends that are allergic, but they're allergic to most of them universally. It says how much you reeeeally love him that you'd give up one of your favorite scents for him. ;)
Ooooh, Helmut Lang...I was unaware they'd stopped making this in the US. I do remember liking this scent - I bet you could find it online.
Re: I've always worn a "signature scent"
Date: 2006-10-31 10:33 pm (UTC)That's actually one of the reasons I don't shop there much anymore - everytime I really find a scent or lotion I love, it ends up being discontinued. (I must be the only one buying the ones I like.)
no subject
Date: 2006-10-31 10:34 pm (UTC)Essential oils are very cool. I like to put them in my bath water, and I use lavendar oil sometimes on my temples, to help w/my migraines.
no subject
Date: 2006-10-31 10:39 pm (UTC)I'll have to make a note to try that if I ever run across it. I smelled my friend L's Escada Collection today at lunch...and it is scarily similar to my Angel! Of course, L and I have long believed we are kindred spirits in most ways, so maybe not so surprising after all.
I can see why changing scents would help you take on a different persona when performing. Scent is such a strong sense - the most powerful one associated with memory, actually - I can see how it would transform you.
no subject
Date: 2006-10-31 10:43 pm (UTC)Mmm, the Valentino sounds interesting (I looked it up). I'll have to try it sometime.
no subject
Date: 2006-11-09 07:30 pm (UTC)Because Voleuse pointed me here...
Date: 2006-11-09 07:40 pm (UTC)Although. I have this mythical scent in my head, what I think of as a "red" scent, sweet without being too foody or floral, spicy without being overwhelming, with some kind of warm, resinous middle note, that I have just never quite come across. The Bath and Body Works' Sandalwood Rose oil is very close, though. If I found that scent, I might never wear another perfume again.
no subject
Date: 2006-11-09 07:42 pm (UTC)So now I stick to my Fresh White Musk shower gel, which is also clean and slightly musky, smeells awesome in the shower, and invariably has one of my friends trying to sniff me. :)
Re: I've always worn a "signature scent"
Date: 2006-11-09 07:44 pm (UTC)Re: Because Voleuse pointed me here...
Date: 2006-11-09 08:04 pm (UTC)This immediately made me think of the sample that came in the mail with my recent travel sized bottle of Angel. Thierry Mugler has a new scent, (not sure I approve of the name) called Alien that smells very similar to what I imagine you're describing - because he used amber, actual amber resin, as a basenote for it. I love the smell of amber anyway, but added to it he put a woody Cashmeran scent, vanilla, and a floral I'm unfamiliar with, Jasmine Sambac. Anyway, the combination is almsot yummy enough to make me deviate from my beloved Angel.
Not that I'm trying to convince you, or anything, but you might want to check it out, as it just sounded too similar to pass up with that resinous middle note comment, because that's exactly what I thought of when I smelled it. :)
Hmm, I know you can try it at any Nordstrom's/Saks type store that carries Thierry, but if you're even slightly interested, I'll pop the sample I got into the mail for you.
no subject
Date: 2006-11-09 09:28 pm (UTC)I am enough of a romantic to think that is neat. :)
no subject
Date: 2006-11-09 09:29 pm (UTC)That is the sign of a good scent, I would think. :D
Re: Because Voleuse pointed me here...
Date: 2006-11-10 07:04 pm (UTC)Re: Because Voleuse pointed me here...
Date: 2006-11-10 07:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-11-10 08:21 pm (UTC)By the way, I just did my first order of BPAL scents, and I blame you entirely for making me think about it so hard. (And