Scents are quite divisive. Sure, we could probably all agree Chick-Fil-A is fabulous and Gucci has been killing it in the industry lately, but bring up a favorite perfume and you’ll hear disagreements.
Some like fresh, some like oriental, others like floral and a few like woodsy. What your bff wears as her signature scent may be off-putting to you in the bottle, even if you love it on her. I’m always fascinated at how our body chemistry reacts with scents and how one spray could turn floral on me and have spicier top notes on my sister.
So today, I want to hear from you, what is your signature scent?! Get your favorite perfume from sites like rebelaromas.co.uk/.
Truthfully, I don’t have one. Paul loves when I wear Victor & Rolf Flowerbomb. Prada Candy reminds me of my Meme because she always gifts it to me. I obsess over Jo Malone Peony & Blush Suede for spring and business meetings. YSL Black Opium for date night. Always. Tom Ford Soleil Blanc for summer. Flora by Gucci for lunch with the ladies. Gucci Bloom when I dip into my mother’s stash on her vanity. I also keep a little empty candle jar filled with perfume samples, so I get a little wild and try a new one weekly.
You see why I need a signature scent? I absolutely love the concept. Whenever I smell Dior J’adore, I think of my best friend’s mom. She always wore that and so funny enough, it reminds me of middle school carpool. We’d pile into her SUV and beg to stop at Taco Bueno so we could grab a taco and side of rice with queso.
But speaking of memories, did you know the reason we traditionally like a scent or not is based on what we are familiar with? Because scent is such a strong sense, if you pick up a bottle and like it, your brain is more than likely associating it with a moment and scent you have smelled before. I once was told that if you’re drawn to a particular fragrance family {let’s go with floral} it could even be that you like it because you’re mother wore a floral scent when she rocked you as a child. We may not even know {or remember} the memory our brain is linking the scent to, but our reaction of liking it is like a little memory spark. And we could block out certain fragrances from our vanity because of bad memories. So if you’d never dare purchase a “clean” fragrance, it could be because your least favorite boss wore a fragrance in that family. My girlfriend went to this entire fragrance workshop thing {not really sure what you call it, but people that create fragrance were there and teaching} and she told me all of this. Hence, why I’m fascinated and need a signature scent!
As I’m on the hunt, I keep hearing things about Santal 33 {apparently that’s “everyone’s” signature scent} and then my girlfriend told me I must try this. But I’m thinking I’d like to go with an Aerin fragrance. I get the most giddy when I receive those as a sample in a Sephora purchase.
As I try to narrow it down, I want to know your thoughts, do you believe in the signature scent concept?! Or do you prefer to keep it interesting with a mix?
P.S. Any perfume geniuses out there?! What types of scents do you see me with from the arsenal above?
P.S.S. Do NOT break the cardinal rule of scents and put them by a window like I did in this photo. Keep your scents in a cool space away from a ton of natural light.
Dresser is vintage from an antique mall and Perfume tray is from TJ Maxx!
Imagery: Angie Garcia
I’m a clean and fresh kind of girl!! Clinique Happy day in and day out, Narciso Rodriguez for going out, and Dominique Ropion “Carnal Flower” for my splurge that smells AMAZING!
Jimmy Choo Illicit
Alien by Thierry Mugler — it sounds weird but it is seriously so good!
Such a good one! Wore it on my wedding day and it reminds me of all those emotions! xo
YES!!!! I wear it every single day! I got two bottles of Alien for Christmas this year from two different people
Chanel’s Coco Mademoiselle is my signature. It took me a long time to pick it out. I always wanted to have a signature scent and I was very picky about it.
In high school it was Clinique Happy. My friends still tell me when they smell it they thing of me.
Chanel Number 5 will always be my ride or die! I try so many other, and love certain scents when I smell them on other people, but I always go back to this one.
Stella by Stella McCartney! Hands down my favorite scent – and not many people (at least where I live) wear it, so it stands out. Get a sample from Sephora, and try it out. You’ll be obsessed!
Good girl gone bad by Kilian is one of my favorites!!!! I get so many compliments when I wear it. Also I love jimmy choo and Chanel mademoiselle.
I swear by Dior Miss Dior! Love how it isn’t overpowering.
My mom wears creed spring flower, so when I wear that I think of her. I usually wear that in the spring and will alternate with jo Malone peony & blush suede. In the fall and winter months I’ll wear creed love & white or mix the peony blush suede with jo Malone’s woodsage and sea salt. I love that you can mix those. And an everyday wear or date night is always always black opium.
Jo Malone Peony and Blush Suede is mine and my best friend’s favorite fragrance! Ralph Lauren Romance always reminds me of my mom because she wore it all the time when I was growing up.
I bought Jo Malone Peony & Blush Suede last week when we were in London and I could not be more obsessed! It is so strong, but in a good way!
Black Opium is a staple for me! I’ve been looking into Bella by Vince Camuto… anyone tried it? I think it’s more floral for summer.
I didn’t even know Vince Camuto made fragrance. I live under a rock! Need to try it! xo
I just saw it in a magazine one day and smelled amazing! One of the ways to find new products in my small town
Bella is my everyday scent!! I love it so fresh and light !
Great!! Thanks for the reply!
I don’t have a favourite perfume – mainly because I don’t use any! I want something from Jo Malone so bad but atm it’s out of my budget… I’ll live through your collection, though, haha! 😀
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Trish McEvoy #9 is made to be layered! I love it by itself, or combine it with Chloe’ s signature perfume for date night! Since it layers so well, it allows you to create your own signature scent when mixed with something you already have.
I’ve never tried that, that is so good to know! I want to get a sample of that! xo
I use Peony and Blush Suede too! I love the scent, I just don’t think its as fragrant as some of my other perfumes. I want to see if they have it in an “eau de parfume” option! Also have a sample of Black Opium and I always get compliments wearing it. My scent right now is Jimmy Choo and I looove it!
Having worked for Jo Malone for several years I can tell you they don’t make eau de parfume versions of any of their scents. All are classified as colognes, in part because Jo’s take on fragrance is a much lighter one. Scents that are airy, light and fresh. The black bottles you see at the counter are all a completely different “Cologne Intense” collection. Middle eastern inspired and spicier. If you like the Peony & Blush Suede and want to take it up notch, try pairing it with the Tuberose Angelica. Jo Malone is all about the art of scent combination and the tuberose and gardenia in that scent will give your peonies more to hold on to.
Tubererose Angelica is my signature scent. I have been wearing it for years. People always ask me what I am wearing. I know JoMalone is about blending, but this is just an amazing choice year round, day or night!
Florence by Tocca is my new favorite! It’s floral, but unique. I have to stop myself from using it everyday otherwise I would run out so fast.
Chanel Mademoiselle is my go-to! It’s so classic and I always get compliments when I wear it! The Chanel Gabrielle also smells amazing as well!
I totally believe in the signature scent idea, but I don’t follow that. I used to wear Juicy Couture only throughout college and now when I smell it I think of all of those years and it makes me smile. Now I wear Alien by Thierry Mugler, Bombshell by Victoria Secret, Gucci Flora Gardenia and Black Opium by YSL. I wore Alien on my wedding day so whenever I wear it my husband in particular loves it because it reminds him of that day. Black Opium is my date night/girls night perfume. Bombshell is my vacation scent and Gucci is my everyday. I like to mix it up because I think its fun to associate scents with certain feelings/memories. When the Bombshell comes out I know its vacation time or if I wear Alien, its for a special occasion that makes me feel happy, etc. While it’s great to have a signature scent that people associate with you, I find that mixing it up works best and people that are close to me notice when I am wearing something different too!
YES TO ALL OF THIS! And we are twins because I wore Alien on my wedding day, we love the same scents! It is so nice how it makes you smile. xo
The two scents I’m currently wearing are Victor & Rolf Flowerbomb, which my husband loves, and Prada Candy. I used to wear Dolce and Gabbana Light Blue all the time and so many people would randomly tell me how good I smelled–so why did I stop wearing it? I guess because I like to change things up every once in a while. While I like the idea of a signature scent, I think I would get bored with wearing the same perfume year after year.
True Blue by D&G. Another random perfume that I get a lot of compliments on is Nude by Rihanna. It’s an everyday scent and it’s inexpensive. My husband loves acqua di gio by Armani and burberry for evening.
As I’ve hit my mid twenties I have become extremely sensitive to smell and cannot wear any kind of perfume! I like to smell clean and fresh without smelling if that makes sense. If I’m feeling frisky I’ll wear a scented lotion (typically Brazilian bum bum cream), but I literally have to put it on my bum or knees and then wash my hands or it’ll be too strong!
My favorite perfume scent is olympea perfume by paco rabanne ! It’s a fav for sure ????
It used to be Pure by Jil Sander but it was discontinued. I wore it all throughout college and was so sad! Recently I started wearing Bright Crystal by Versace and I love it – it’s my new ‘signature.’ For special occasions I love Coco Mademoiselle.
I am practically a perfume collector and have way more than any one person needs(haha). But my two favorites of all time are Miss Dior- Blooming Bouquet and Issey Miyake – Florale! They are both light and crisp but (not too) sweet scents (so hard to describe scents). But I love that I can wear them everyday for almost any occasion and even layer them. For example, if I wear one in the morning for the day if I freshen up for the night I can switch and wear the other perfume. And bonus the bottles and gorgeous!
Katey,
Elixir Des Merveilles by Hermès. My signature scent for years!! Unique, woodsy, & not floral. My husband’s most favorite scent I’ve ever worn & i’ve been married for 25 years. My two daughters (early 20’s) even wear it (their favorite as well) & we have people stop us daily & say “what on earth are you wearing..it smells WONDERFUL!” I love that!!! I also love that I don’t smell like anyone else!!
Alien by mugler is definitely my favorite! My mom has worn angel by him as well for about ten years now too, and I’ll always spray it whenever I’m in a department store, Ulta or Sephora because it reminds me of her and I only get to see her a few times a year.
When I’m waiting to get my alien perfume refilled, I’ll wear either Vera wang princess or Elizabeth and James nirvana white!
Love this topic! I wore Flowerbomb exclusively for 10 years but made a switch last year to Maison Francis Kurkdijan Baccarat Rouge 540. Obsessed is an understatement. I know the name is a mouthful, and it’s pricey. But I’m telling you Katey, you will love it! I get compliments daily. Next time you’re at Neiman’s, sample it and let me know what you think!
My signature is Rag & Bone’s Encens— I love things with myrrh, black pepper, or more spicy tones!
My mom wore Tommy Girl in the 90s & even though I don’t know anyone who wears it now, I can still picture that bottle on her vanity!
A friend in middle school gave me Victoria Secret Sexy Little Things (which has been discontinued for over 10 years) & I still have the bottle even though it only has a tiny bit left I can’t bare throw it away because I have so many good memories with the scent!
Thank you for all of that information!!! And of course, your fragrance selections!
I just love Alien by Thierry Mugler! I think it is the best, most unique scent.
I LOVE Prada Candy and Viva La Juicy is nice and light and flirty. I’ve also become obsessed with Stella- such a pretty scent!
My current perfume rotation consists of Jo Malone Peony & Blush, Tiffany & Co fragrance, My Burberry and I just got a sample of Diptique Eau Rose and it smells so good I’m going to have to buy it. The subconscious scent-memory correlation is so interesting! Though, bc I tend to think so many scents smell badly, I wonder what my subconscious is associating all of those with haha. Whenever I look for a new scent I feel so badly for the poor sales ladies bc I am picky. And it’s hard to smell something and control the face so that I’m polite but I’m also thinking “ew it stinks.” Anyways, cute blog post!!!
I wear Cartier La Panthere daily. Chanel Noir on cold winter days and when I want to feel ultra fem.
I love Oscar De la Renta tropical in the summer, but it has been discontinued 🙁
I don’t have a “Signature” scent. I like to mix it up. I’ll typically stick with two fragrances to rotate for a little while. Then, dive into something new. But, I’m Fifty years old … Been a perfume Collector since I was a teen. So, there’s a few “Staples” in my ‘fümes collection. A few of my “Go-To” that are always on hand.
But, recently, the juice I have been seriously crushing on is, PRADA La Femme Intense Parfüme
and Jo Malone Velvet Rose & Aoud INTENSE.
Clearly, I alternate.
The PRADA La Femme Intense Parfüme is Absolutely GORGEOUS! One of the nicest scents I’ve come across in my years of collecting Parfümes.
I wear a few scents from Tory Burch. Love Relentlessly is sweet, feminine and subtle. Definitely give it a try!
Ellen | A Pop of Pink
I got a sample of Lancome’s “la vie est belle” from Nordstrom and I loved it so much I bought it in the larger size.
I used to wear Clinique Happy Heart and Chanel Chance, but I think I grew away from them because they remind me of a time in my life (high school and college) and I have grown up 🙂
I wear Angel by Thierry Mugler. It’s one of the few fragrances people always tell me how good I smell. The odd thing is my husband saw it in Macy’s and wanted me to try it since his pet name for me is “Angel.” Well not even 5 minutes later he was telling me how much he loved it. It’s been my signature scent ever since. I still compliments all the time. I love that I don’t get a headache with it like I have so many perfumes. Like my husband, it was just meant to be!!
My Favorite Perfume is BCBG by MaxAzaria, it not a very well know Fragrance, but I love how it last all day and it smells Clean, and I like Bond#9 Scent of Peace, please check these 2 out.
So I’m obsessed with anything Jo Malone and that’s currently all I have in my collection but I feel like the ones I have smell great for a few hours and then wear off shortly after … do y’all have any other brands that you love that stay all day?
I am in LOVE with the Valentino Acqua Donna Perfume <3
BlondieintheCity.com
I love Stella by Tocca for every day. I wore their Emelia scent on my wedding day and am obsessed with both. I also love Flowerbomb and Daisy by Marc Jacobs.
Love this post, it’s so true how a scent can warm your heart – growing up my dad owned a lawn service so whenever I smell freshly cut grass or the smell after a summer rain I think of him. But staying on theme with this post 😉 Elizabeth Taylor White Diamonds makes me think of my Memaw. Granted, I think she is the only person who still wears it, whenever I see it or smell it, it makes my heart happy.
My faves are YSL Black Opium & Henri Bendel’s perfume. Recently I bought a roll on of Elizabeth James Nirvana White and loving that! I’m not typically a floraly scent loving kind of girl but there is something so soft and feminine, it’s not overly floral scented but such a nice scent for spring/summer or if you’re wanting to feel a little girly :).
Hi Katey,
The scent I live for and can’t go without is Louis Vuitton Rose. I absolutely love how feminine it is and I always feel like I smell exactly like a bouquet of roses. It is just so simple and pretty. I really enjoy any of the Louis Vuitton scents and they are refillable so when you run out, you can run to a LV store and have them refill it for a fraction of the cost of a new bottle since the new bottles are pricey. I bought the sampler as well which includes mini bottles of all the scents and i LOVE that. Sometimes I want something with more fruit and vanilla and there is a scent for that as well. so basically I am a huge LV fragrance fan and I totally think they are worth the high price tag.
I always want an Aerin scent simply because the bottles are SO PRETTY haha! They just look so nice on a vanity.
I discovered YSL Black Opium through your blog and it’s been my top favorite (I rotate through the seasons) for over two years now. Can’t tell you how many girls in elevators or Uber drivers have asked what I am wearing when I spritz that on haha. It’s just so delicious and always catches people’s nose!
I love that you shared all that about how we associate scents with what we are familiar with, even if we don’t know why. Just the other day I put on a sample and it smelled so good and then like five seconds later I realized why I loved it so much: it reminded me of my semester in Italy! And it’s been bugging me because I can’t put a finger on *why*. I researched all the notes of the perfume and none of them are flowers or plants native to Italy or even anywhere near that region, so I wonder if maybe one of my teachers or classmates there wore something similar. I have no idea but it’s been such a beautiful memory every time I wear it!
xo Mary-Katherine
http://www.goldhattedlover.com
I love wearing new scents and I totally agree that we associate memories with scents. Everytime that I go on a vacation I always buy a new perfume and bring it with me (I don’t wear it or spray it until I’m there) and then after the trip everytime that I pull out the fragrance I am filled with happy memories of my trip and family.
My favorite scents are Juliette Has a Gun- Anyway, Chanel No 5, Tory Burch Absolu, and Gucci Bamboo.
I’m not really sure what would be my signature scent… I like a few – the Original Juicy Couture, Dior J’Adore, CHANEL Chance eau de Tendre (pink). I KNOW I’m not a floral scent gal though… my dad recently retired as a funeral director and as crazy/funny as it sounds, any time I smell flowers/floral scents, I immediately think of the funeral home! ????
I am totally late on this post but I have like 95% of the perfumes you shot in this post haha. I love love love Jo Malone scents, also Aerin is amazing. However, my true ride or die will ALWAYS be D&G Light Blue. It’s truly me, whenever I smell it, I get the feeling/memory you talked about, and it just smells amazing and makes me feel amazing. I hope it is never discontinued.
Chloe by Chloe for signature scent and out of athleisure wear, Le Labo AnOther 13 fall go to ; cannot go wrong with either and I always get complemented.
I am just now catching up on your recent blog posts! So this comment may be overdue, but I am obsessed with Tory Burch Love Relentlessly right now!
so many great scents and so many supporting comments for simplicity noting that i am male my fovorite cologne ispaul sebation ifind it pleasant and not overwellming.i receive many compliments
so many great scents and so many supporting comments for simplicity noting that i am male my fovorite cologne ispaul sebation ifind it pleasant and not overwellming.i