With my 30th birthday just past, I decided to treat myself to a new fragrance. I know a lot of people treat themselves to different things on their birthday, but I like to go with a new scent. Quality perfume is quite expensive, and not a normal luxury for me- a birthday is a good reason to splurge! I had many fantastic conversations with some lovely Instagram followers about fragrances, and decided to do a fragrance FAQ. There are a million things to consider when choosing a fragrance, and it can be overwhelming quite frankly. So, I’ll be sharing how I choose my scents and answering the rest of your questions on fragrance!
What Do I Look For in a Scent?
I personally have a few notes that I look for in a scent. Patchouli is actually in all of the scents I regularly wear, and citrus scents (of a variety) also seem to be quite common for me. Now that I have an idea of what notes I like (and equally important, what notes I don’t like), I am quite specific when looking. I like a scent that has somewhat long lasting power- close to a work day or afternoon and evening is perfect. Sillage, which is the amount of fragrance left in the air after you leave, is important, as well. I personally wear scent for myself, so I don’t want to walk in a room and have everyone smell my fragrance immediately.
Why Did I Choose Miss Dior?
Many people questioned why I bought the Miss Dior scent, and why I didn’t go with a less “obvious” choice. I will be brutally honest- I don’t buy or not buy things based on how popular or unpopular they are. Finding an unknown perfumer doesn’t guarantee that a scent will work for me, nor will a rockstar brand. I started looking at the Miss Dior scents because I favour many of the notes!
I also did want more of a “legacy” fragrance, being that it is my 30th birthday. I rather compromised with myself and went with the 2019 formulation of the Miss Dior Eau de Toilette, but I can certainly see myself wearing this for years to come. As I get older, I am gravitating away from trendier things and more and more towards the classics. Miss Dior fits that bill perfectly! (I also have quite sensitive skin, and frequently find myself with hives, so I have to be rather careful.)
And now, onto your questions…
Why Are Perfume Bottles So Weird?
That is an excellent question. My best guess would be that perfume on its own isn’t that magical to look at, so they need to jazz it up. (I’m assuming that is why make up palettes and whatnot look as crazy as they do?) How many people have bought a perfume based on the shape of the bottle? This historian right here, for a start- when I was younger, I had no idea what I was doing. However, learn from me: do not buy a perfume based on the bottle, as it has no bearing on the scent!
These Dior bottles in the Garden room of the Dior: Designer of Dreams exhibition were some of my favourite items in the collection, especially the herringbone bottle and box!
How Do I Find a Scent That Works For Me?
You really just have to keep trying them. I would recommend getting a fragrance sampler, and trying as many as you can. And do not get the fragrance samplers that are just all of the scents from one house, get one with different brands. A sampler should give you enough to wear the scent for at least a week, and give it a proper try. And when I try scents, I like to start with a roller ball. No, it is not the most value for your money, but if you find you don’t like it over time, it’s better to have lost $30 rather than $130. Plus, a roller ball lets you take it on the go- my Sí roller ball is always with me! And finally, don’t get stuck on one scent. It doesn’t matter what celebrity is the face of the scent or who has worn it in the past, it has to work for you. Not for Cate Blanchett or Julia Roberts but for you. Keep that in mind when trying things!
Chanel No 5????
I had several people ask about Chanel No 5 with varying numbers of question marks. Chanel No 5 is an iconic scent… that is possibly the worst scent on me, in all of the world. It smells like chemical baby powder that sits on my skin, and radiates for days. Not exactly an elegant feeling. As I said above, perfume is a personal choice- your skin’s chemistry plays a massive role. My own chemistry does not work with Chanel No 5. However, your’s might! Do not buy this based on it’s iconic status alone, it won’t guarantee that it works for you. I would treat it like any other fragrance, though- try it and see if it works for you! (Keep in mind, you will pay a hefty price tag for it- the standard bottle will cost you anywhere from $142 to $385 CAD.)
Fragrance can be a wonderful way to give yourself a little confidence, and the perfect way to add some elegance. A signature scent is a distinguished tradition that all of us can take part in! I know that a lot of us can’t afford designer handbags and vacations on yachts, but fragrance is a lovely little way to bring a little luxury into your life without going over the top. It can feel overwhelming at the beginning, but once you get a feeling for scents, it becomes much easier. Fragrance is simply another language to learn!
And now for MY question in this fragrance FAQ: what is your favourite fragrance? What do you find yourself going back to over and over?
Cheers,
The Historian
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I completely agree about trying different ones- it’s why I like the testers (the white strips) next to the perfumes in the stores. I seem to go based off of the scent after it sinks in for a few minutes when I test it. I generally go for stuff from the Body Shop- the main one that I always go back to is Indian Night Jasmine, the perfume oil or Fragrance Mist. For my last b-day since they give a discount for birthdays I got a variety of perfumes- which worked in theory but I found I was allergic to one and couldn’t know that without having it on skin longer. Another I haven’t fully tried yet and it’s been months! All are similar though- floral, subtle, light and what I like. Rather then trying to impress someone which I know I tried to do when I was a teen.
I don’t mind the tester strips, but I find that it can have a very different outcome on my skin vs the strip. My plan is to ask if I can get a small sample at Sephora next time I go- being able to try something even for a few days would help me make a decision. And I think that everyone at some point picks a scent with someone else in mind, be it a specific person or just people in general! I quickly learned that what I want to smell might not be what someone else wants to smell,and quite frankly, I have to smell it all of the time and they don’t haha.