I’m having a bit of a fragrance dilemma and thought I should ask your opinion. I’ve always operated under the belief that a woman should have one signature fragrance and stick with it. Well, a few years ago I thought I found “the one” (Fracas by Robert Piguet) and ever since have called it my own. I adore Fracas, I really do, but lately I’ve been itching to try something new…you know, to mix things up a bit. I am particularly taken with Burberry Brit. It reminds me of young, hip London with its traces of almond, peony and vanilla and in these cold, rainy months it seems like the perfect fit. Would that be cheating? Do you rotate fragrances based on the season? What is your scent of choice?
(image by kristybee)
don’t fret, friend.
it is important to have scents that define your style and mood. but we have so many moods and our style evolves over time :) for the everyday, i adore the white floral loveliness of kai. for evenings where i am feeling particularly spicy, brigette by tocca is my pick.
burberry brit is a cool scent with delicious notes. what are you waiting for? ;)
xo,
sylvie of silver lining
I honestly have like 10 different ones, some cheap, some nice, and I wear what I feel like wearing that day. I get too sick of just one and then I don’t even realize I have anything on because I’m so used to it. Plus what if someone you see a lot doesn’t like it and they smell that on you all the time, you can give them a break if you switch it up
Definitely not cheating. A little break and you will appreciate your old favorite even more when you return to it. I do rotate based on the season, but I have some old favorites I return to again and again: Jo Malone Orange Blossom, Calypso Mimosa, and Comptoir Sud Pacifique Les Enfants du Soleil. I also wear and adore several others only seasonally – like Creed Virgin Island Water in the summer … definitely want to check out the Burberry Brit now.
Mmm tell me more Kate… I’ve been wearing Burberry Brit for seven years now! Things are pretty serious. I do switch it out during the warmer months for Bath & Body Works Cucumber Melon (I can’t help it, it smells like coconuts and sunscreen, soo summertime!) but come the first crisp breeze of September I start spritzing Brit like there’s no tomorrow. It always feels like home and I fall in love all over again. Young, hip London and your favorite cable knit sweater, all in one scent. I love it so much I’ve almost splurged on Kate Spade’s Madison Square barware because it reminds me of the perfect plaid bottle…
Sylvie — Brigette? I bet it’s named after Bardot. I love Tocca products and may just have to try this out!
Sara — I’m glad I’m not the only one that tires of wearing one fragrance! Thank you for encouraging me to cheat : )
Stephanie — I love Jo Malone, but I don’t know that I’ve smelt their orange blossom. That sounds divine. Headed to the fragrance counter ASAP…
Natalie — Two words: soul mates. Hahaha. XO
ok, so i pretty much just commented on like your 4 most current posts. i can not get over your blog! absolutly adore it! i actually adore it so much, that i reblogged a post you did on my blog, and gave you full credit my darling. seriously, where do you live? i think we would make the bestest of friends. to answer your beautiful post, i wear anthropologie the charmer. best part, its only $28 a bottle. good thing, cuz i douse myself in that beautiful liquid so i frequent the refill. check it out. not one to disappoint.
loves!
britt {whimsy}
brittnjacob.blogspot.com
I’ve always had the idea that each woman should have a signature scent. Being prone to migraines that are typically set off by strong scents makes that an easy thing for me to live by. If I could, I would have a mirrored tray covered in various perfume bottles. However, I’m quite happy with my scent: Burberry.
Definately a fan of the B Brit! A standing scent for me; although a have been spritzing with a sample of Chloe and yesterday tried a little Hanae Mori,….nice scents as well.
My daughter is obsessed with JCouture & Burberry Weekend.
Have fun, smelling your way to a descision!
Leslie
Lauren — I’m a migraine sufferer as well so I have to be careful too. Another Burberry fan…I like it. I’ll have to compare their original scent with Brit and go from there… Thanks for stopping in!
Britt—Thank you for all your sweetness! You’re such a doll. I actually moved 7 months ago from the East Village of Manhattan to Morgantown, WV. It was culture shock to say the least. We’re returning to civilization in 4 months, but until them I’m determined to soak up all the mountain goodness I can handle (only so much…but I am trying!). I too think we would make the best of friends—especially when I saw your Anthropologie kitchen supplies that never get used. I’m a miserable cook as well, but I love to shop for the kitchen! We’re two peas in a pod. XOXO Kate
Leslie — Adding Chloe to my list of scents to consider. If it smells have as divine as their clothes look you can’t go wrong! XO
hello lovely. thanks for telling me about the typo. and for being so absolutely kind and wonderful! you make my day! and im happy to hear you are in my same boat regarding the kitchen! its nice to know someone you respect is there with ya! i fixed the typo, i clicked on the link and it brought me to some funny bible site! ha…im in utah, so quite the distance…but we may be moving back east next year for the husbands medical school! we shall see! i would love to live out there. i was born and raised in ca and have spent the last 7 years in utah for college and married life so the east would be a refreshing change. i would love to hear about your love story if you have the time to share! im sure its wonderfully romantic!
Britt — YAY now your name links to you! We’ll probably be moving to D.C. or New York depending on where my fiance ends up in law school. How fun would it be if we were in the same city!? You never know! P.S. I grew up in California—miss the sun SOOOO much!
I haven’t worn any perfume in so long. I’ve been thinking a lot about it lately. I used to have a lovely Egyptian musk perfume I picked up at a Renaissance faire when I was a teenager. It disappeared at some point and, being quite sensitive to scents, I never attempted to replace it. I think I need to try.
I wear Philosophy’s “Amazing Grace” it smells divine.
i have always struggled with this dilemma! bc i just think…when my man thinks of me, i want that one scent to come to his mind. or when he smells it on someone/something else, i want him to think of me! :) lame? oh well. so i have worn burberry {original} for the last 6 years. and i still love it. however, there are some great/tempting scents out there, and from time to time, i catch myself craving them for my own skin. i think that it’s okay to change things up in different seasons of life. but i also think it’s important to have a signature scent. so try something new and wear it EVERY DAY {until you are sick of it}. then move on. that’s my vote.
wow…that was long.
I love Burberry Brit. I’ve worn it for a little over a year now. For Christmas my mom bought me Gwen Stefani’s Harajuku Lovers sampler and I really like them just for the bottles (they are little harajuku girls-so cute) but G is my favorite out of the 5 and it smells similar to Burberry Brit. I always try to wear perfume everyday but most days I forget! I need to be better about it!
Anything Chanel – it’s a classic, Stella McCartney and Tocca’s Giulietta are all very lovely. Good luck! xx
chanel coco mademoiselle – handsdown my fave of all time.
I got really caught up with the idea of having a signature scent, but I’m too wishywashy to choose just one. Some of my favorites come from Histoires de Parfums. Each of their scents are based on a different year or person in history. I got a sample set and pretty much made the whole collection my go to for any occasion for a year. I’m a huge fan of 1725 which is actually one of the more masculine scents.
Either that or anything that smells like sandlewood, because I’m a secret hippie.
Yes, I do rotate… right now it is Chanel No. 5, I also wear Aromatics Elixir by Clinique, and Gingembre by Roget and Gallet ( I get 2-3 bottles whenever I am on vacation in the Caribbean..can’t seem to find it here in the states….for very casual summer days…it’s Warm Vanilla Sugar from Bath and Body works!
I wear Chance by Chanel and I swear I’ve never gotten so many amazing compliments on my smell before in my life. I’ve stuck loyal to it for the last 4 or 5 years now. It’s great! Love perfumes! I used to be a DIE HARD Gucci Rush 2 girl before it was discontinued and I was DEVASTATED….well, until I found Chance that is. ;)
Ah… I totally understand!
I posted about my deep belief in signature scents a few months ago (http://prippyhandbook.blogspot.com/2009/11/signatures-scent-edition.html).
I have one signature scent, Eau Des Merveilles Perfume by Hermes . That being said, I mix in a lighter fragrance for those certain times in spring and summer… usually Acqua Di Parma Iris Noble.
You’re not cheating – a splash of something new keeps that signature scent powerful!
Women also should take the time to find a signature cocktail in my opinion… just as important!
I love Betsy Johnson’s signature perfume. playful and yummy!
I have been loyal to Kai perfume oil for the last five years or so. I love it!
I have a few different ‘signature’ scents! It’s not always appropriate to wear all your favorites on every occasion. During the summer, I wear Bath & Body Works’ Coconut Lime Verbena every day – it’s quintessentially summer! Iif I’m going out at night, I wear Hanae Mori which is probably my fave perfume ever.
But I too have been itching for something new, so maybe Burberry Brit is the one! Thanks for passing it along!
I almost never wear perfume–for no reason than that it doesn’t occur to me. Nail polish, make up, and any type of hair product also suffer from my space cadetish occasional awareness of their existance. However, when I do remember, I wear Chanel Coco Mademoiselle. My late cousin, who was a cosmetics buyer at Nordstrom, used to bring a huge basket of samples and freebies to our family gatherings. I usually ignored the scents and went for the face paint (I did theatre in those days and free make up was ALWAYS welcome!), but one Easter I grabbed a bottle of Coco out of curiosity and fell in love. I have never actually bought a bottle of it. My cousin sadly passed away a couple of years ago, so I’m not sure what I’ll do when the one I have runs out. Cry, probably.
Yes, scents are like flowers – seasonal.
I have a collection I love, like wine and cheese.
Helene Arpels is reserved for special occasions
van Clef & Arpels – a new scent I adore
Chanel is a love
Hermes Caleche
Bobbi Brown – beach house
Kelly Anne — Don’t cry! You should go buy more when you run out to keep her memory alive. Isn’t it strange how much a scent can remind you of someone or a particular moment? It’s powerful stuff. You’re lucky to have such sweet memories of your generous cousin. I say you treat yourself to some Coco—I think she’d be up there smiling. Thanks for sharing your memories. XO
I tend to associate diferent fragrances with memories, so I have several which really make me feel happy and nostalgic- ‘Zen’ was my GrandMother’s fave, so it makes me happy. I love ‘eau de Lancome’, it’s so light and summery (I love it especially during our long, dark Maine winters), and another favorite is the classic ‘4711’, it has spicy undertones, and seems to ‘renew’ itself over the course of a day. It reminds me of my time in Germany. Another all-time favorite is ‘Fidji’, but I haven’t been able to find it for years- Does anyone know a good source for ‘hard to find’ scents?
Mary — I’ll have to do a little search for this Fidji for you! I’ve heard of it. Hmmmm, it must be around somewhere! XO
I think your scent style can evolve and grow just as your fashion style evolves with time. I used to wear the original Nariciso Rodriguez for years and then switched to Calypso Mimosa for the summer then I tried Le Labo Santal. I have never had so many people tell me how good I smell. It’s kind of fun! You should check them out too!
For all those who love the Burberry Brit but only wear it in winter… I just happened to pick up the new Allure yesterday, and there was an ad for Burberry Brit Sheer. Is this new?? Is it just a lighter version of Burberry Brit? I’ve been on a Burberry London kick myself lately, for the past year or so, but have been also known to delve into some Narcisco Rodriguez and Chanel Coco Mademoiselle as well. I, too, however, am on the eternal hunt for my signature perfume. I want it to be something that not many women own, something sweet but fresh, feminine and girly but sophisticated and chic, classic but not stuffy… I know, it’s a tall order!
and Kate – PLEASE move to DC! We’d love to have you! I have to say it’s remarkable (and a little bizarre) how much I agree with your style choices. I even have the same black and green kate spade planner :)
I have one vanilla scented one that I have been addicted to for the past few years and as long as I can buy it, I will….love it! But I also have a few others that I adore that I will always buy too, but normally I stick with one fragrance for quite a while.
I’ve often pondered this myself. But since I’m sooo picky when it comes to scents I stick w/my tried and tested Burberry. Just plain Burberry in the round bottle. After all this time, I still love it.
I used to be a Chanel Chance girl until I got to Uni and smelled it on my entire class (well, I continued to wear it, but when I ran out I couldn’t make myself buy a new bottle).
Now I wear Marc Jacobs Daisy during the day/ in summer and Chloe at nights/ in the winter. (neither is particularly exclusive, I realize, but I love them)
Good luck and have fun choosing your new fragrance!!
I change every few years. I wore Burberry Brit for a while – it’s a great fragrance! I now wear either Vera Wang Princess, Viktor & Rolf or Harajuku Lovers G. It’s nice to change things up!
I, too, used to favor the self-defining signature scent until I realized how many fantastic fragrances I was missing out on. Scent really is an extension of one’s personal style. Just like you wouldn’t wear the exact same clothes every day, why would you wear the exact same perfume?
There’s an entire perfume subculture that I’ve stumbled upon the last couple years. It’s fascinating and truly is an art form. Go to Now Smell This (http://www.nstperfume.com/) . It will change your life. Can you tell I’m perfume-obsessed? I’ve written a bit about perfume on my own blog. Happy exploring!