via Serge Lutens
- What’s your favorite perfume/cologne to wear?
- What are your favorite scents and ways to use them?
- Do you DIY? Mix scents? Use essential oils?
- What’s your history with scents?
- What’s your favorite scent memory?
My answers:
What’s your favorite perfume/cologne to wear?
I don’t really have a favorite, since I don’t wear anything right now, but if I was going to buy anything it would be Wonder Tonka by Blood Concept and/or Serge Lutens Five O’Clock au gingembre; I would be happy to interchange those. I also love Santal33 and Rose 31 by Le Labo, but compared to the Wonder Tonka, they’re both quite demure and feminine 😉 The Wonder Tonka is just so…stunning, in a good way. When I smell it, I feel the same way as when I put on one of my beloved James Perse dresses; I just sigh, because it fits me so well. But while I can spend a lot of money on clothes/shoes/bags, I just cannot bring myself to do it on cologne.
We have a department store here, fortyfiveten, which has an AMAZING fragrance section and an even more amazing sales associate who is always a joy to see and learn from. He is dedicated to his work and the most knowledgeable person I have ever met on fragrance. Anyway, he thinks my scent preference is gourmand, and I can’t really say I understand what that is, but I’ll go with it! (I am HOPELESS at identifying scents and smells – olfactory notes? is that what they’re called? that I like, I just know it when I smell it basically. I like my Vetiver soap by Osmia organics, but if anyone more knowledgeable than me has any suggestions for me, I’d love to hear them!!)
What’s are your favorite scents and ways to use them?
I really like all kinds of scents when it comes to room fragrance, except vanilla and lavender. I love candles, but have a hard time spending money on them. I stocked up on Boy Smells candles a while ago, and am just finishing burning those (I think my favorite is Kush) , but I am very interested in a diffuser, and of course, aesthetically, I like this one by Vitruvi the best, but I’d love other suggestions if anyone has one! I’d also like to use oils in the bathtub.
Do you DIY? Mix scents? Use essential oils?
um. No. If you know me at all, you know I’m not great at DIY LOL 😉 But I’m trying to get better. I did make myself a body/hand (I use it for my hands mostly) scrub with raw sugar, almond oil and peppermint oil that I love. I’m also thinking of getting some wool dryer balls (the static electricity is real, and I haven’t used dryer sheets in years) and adding some essential oils to them for the scent. Has anyone tried that? Favorite essential oils and what to do with them?? Also, any good ethical sources for wool dryer balls?
What’s your history with scents?
I’ve never really worn perfume/cologne or felt a particular affinity to any scent at all. I had a bottle of Versace Blonde decades ago and I loved it (smells of Magnolia blossoms), but any perfume/cologne I’ve ever bought and tried to wear fades almost immediately and I never smell it on myself, so I gave up trying to spend money on fragrance. I used to add Kiehl’s musk oil to my unscented body lotion from them for a little while. Now, I’m less concerned with myself smelling nice, than with “having a scent” if that makes sense. I want my clothes to smell good – have a lingering scent – linens, rooms, etc. I just enjoy getting a nice deep breath of a lovely smell at unexpected times.
What’s your favorite scent memory?
Opium reminds me of my grandmother and I try to take a sniff anytime I’m at Ulta 🙂 I guess that is what I’m looking for – a “signature” scent that reminds people of me…
Go!! I CANNOT WAIT to read your answers 🙂
1.What’s your favorite perfume/cologne to wear? — I’ve been wearing Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black for the past few years which is a good go-to, although I recently discovered OLO fragrances and am really loving their Cedar and Rose as well as their Palo Santo perfumes.
2.What are your favorite scents and ways to use them? Palo Santo wood is my current love — it immediately grounds me and I burn it or incense when I’m at home (Naag Champa). I like diffusing essential oils but just read that cats cannot have exposure to them because it causes liver damage, so I’m giving that up for the sake of my beloved kitty.
3.Do you DIY? Mix scents? Use essential oils? I’m not creative whatsoever with scents, except for mixing essential oils in my baths. One thing at a time is a good motto for me!
4.What’s your history with scents? I’ve always wanted a “signature scent” and I love the idea of woodsy scents, but the ones that work best on me tend to be more floral or spicy. I try not to question it too much and just ask my husband what scent he likes since he’s pretty honest and has a good intuition for these things.
5.What’s your favorite scent memory? My favorite is the smell of Jasmine at my elementary school! Whenever I smell it, I’m immediately in a time warp, it’s such a funny sensation. There’s also a recent tree I discovered that smells like orange blossoms or tangerines but isn’t either of those, and I’m obsessed with that too. It just fills me with a sense of comfort. Also, I love walking through my neighborhood and smelling a fire in someone’s fireplace.
What’s your favorite perfume/cologne to wear? Spider Lily – India Hicks by Crabtree & Evelyn, but it’s discontinued now (they each have a new version -haven’t tried either yet) Used to be Tilleul by L’Occitane but also discontinued. Sense a theme?
What are your favorite scents and ways to use them? I love scent but easily get headaches and so does my husband. Oil in the bath or steam shower is ok (we love balsalm, eucalyptus and lavender) Demeter single scent eau de toilettes don’t seem to bother husband either – I’ve worn honeysuckle & gardenia for years, trying to find more wintery scents now – have bonfire and fireplace, not bad….Diffuse quickly!
Do you DIY? Mix scents? Use essential oils? Just in bath & steam shower so far. No diffusers. I’ve made soap but didn’t like the results. Might make beard balm and/or beard oil for husband next year – he’s stocked this year (and only has a beard for the winter…)
What’s your history with scents? I wore vanilla through most of high school and college. Found Amarige in college and LOVED, wore all the time. Realized it’s probably a little heavy for a 20yr old but I loved it so much. Switched to florals after college, but have never been a heavy scent user.
What’s your favorite scent memory? Using Ponds cold cream to do facials with my grandmother 🙂
1. What’s your favorite perfume/cologne to wear?
L’Eau d’Issey by Issey Miyaki. I started wearing it when I was a teenager and while I change perfumes every so often, I always come back to my Issey Miyaki. I think I’ll try it in body lotion form rather than eau de parfum next time round though.
2. What’s are your favorite scents and ways to use them?
I love citrus scents when it comes to room fragrance. I’ve got a gorgeous vanilla orange candle that I’m burning right now – the vanilla takes the sharpness off the orange and makes the scent really smooth and luxurious.
I’d like to use diffusers but the scent is just too intense for me (I’m super sensitive to smell, which is a good and a bad thing when I work in a chemistry lab!). At least with candles, there’s kind of an on/off switch for when I’m having a bad day with the smells.
3. Do you DIY? Mix scents? Use essential oils?
Nah. A friend introduced me to an essential oil-based mosquito repellent when I was in Australia last. That’s about the limit for me.
4. What’s your history with scents?
From the time I was allowed to wear scent, I have. Started with L’eau d’Issey, tried Sunflowers, and CK’s Escape, back to Issey, then J-P Gaultier’s Classique (yuck), back to Issey again. I had a couple of bottles of Gucci Rush before I came across Sunflowers again – it was such a disappointment! I don’t know if I was remembering the smell differently or if the new formulation just doesn’t have the oomph that the original had.
Went back to Issey but then I had issues with the eau de parfum being too intense for my poor snoz (hence why I think I’ll try the lotion next time)
Am currently wearing Marc Jacob’s Dot. I really like it but I’m not sure I’ll buy it again.
5. What’s your favorite scent memory?
Calvin Klein’s Eternity and Escape take me right back to my high school days. Not a favourite memory but the most strongly scent/memory association I have.
The smell of grass being cut for hay always takes me home (grew up on a farm).
What’s your favorite perfume/cologne to wear? I alternate between two Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab perfumes — Morocco and Aureus. I really like Black Forest, too, and have lots of other samples from them that I break out from time to time if I feel like mixing it up. I just ordered a sample set from Lurk, I’ve heard such good things about them. I have a strong desire to settle on one scent and wear nothing else. But I *love* trying new ones. 😉
What are your favorite scents and ways to use them? My son and I have really sensitive skin, so soaps, lotions, etc are all unscented. For home fragrance, I realy enjoy the reed diffusers from PF Candle Co. I’ve been through a bunch since we bought our house 2 years ago, and I think I’ve finally settled on their Patchouli Sweetgrass as my favourite. Their candles are nice too, but I don’t burn candles very often (we’re already working so hard to *filter* the air in our house, why add more particulates?). I used to burn Japanese incense in my bathrooms, but since investing in reed diffusers, I’ve kind of stopped. Again, trying to avoid smoke/particulates.
Do you DIY? Mix scents? Use essential oils? Just bug repellants and stuff in the summer. 🙂 I came up with a pretty good mix last year that was very effective at putting an end to a surprise ant invasion.
What’s your history with scents? First perfume I ever bought myself was a “Black Coconut” roll-on in middle school. Then I got really into using solid amber for a while in high school and early college. At some point in college I bought myself a couple different perfumes — one called “Persephone: and one called “Sacred Fire” — I still have them but find them utterly unwearable now, in a “What Was I Thinking?!” kind of way. After I graduated, I worked for a store that sold Black Phoenix perfumes and have been hooked on them ever since. It was nice getting to test-drive lots of them for free at work. 😉
What’s your favorite scent memory? Probably the smell of baking bread. I grew up baking, worked in bakeries for a while, and still bake at home regularly. There’s nothing like it. Also, when I catch a whiff of the laundry soap that my high school boyfriend’s family used, I’m immediately transported back to my teen years — sort of a bittersweet experience.
oh, since you use reed diffusers…
whenever i place an order at integrity botanicals i get a sample of the jasmine reed diffuser by red flower. it lasts a couple of weeks, but i’m wondering if i can’t just use jasmine essential oils in glass with a reed and it’ll provide a similar scent? i hate that i’m too cheap to BUY a reed diffuser but i do love how it smells in my bathroom!!
edited to add – their diffusers are super affordable!! and i’ve had a candle or two by that line (purchased at madewell ;)) – i think i’ll try one!
Yes! This is such a fun post! Grechen, “gourmand” usually refers to perfumes that have an “edible” scent, like honey, chocolate, or vanilla as one of the main notes.
1. My husband gave me a bottle of Woman by Apiece Apart for Christmas and I’ve been wearing it a lot. It’s an oil-based perfume and is gorgeous, though I think I reacted to the rose oil in it at first and got a small rash on both wrists, not realizing it was one of the ingredients. I also really like doTerra’s Clary Calm and wear it as a perfume, even though it’s very light. Eden’s Garden has a dupe called Gal Pal that is very similar.
2. After a reaction to a product with rose oil a few years ago, I basically stopped wearing synthetic perfumes and switched to essential oils. It’s easy to layer and blend them, and I like lavender, clary sage, geranium, sandalwood, lemongrass when I’m in the mood, and floral and woodsy scents.
3. I use essential oils for scents, but don’t believe they have any real medical benefits. I like to diffuse different oils in my kitchen after dinner while I’m cleaning up. I will mix scents to make different fragrances, but most of my DIYs have been for things like facial serums, toners, and eyebrow serum. I researched some medical studies about essential oils, and rosemary oil has been found to be comparable to Rogaine for treating hair loss. Lavender is good for calming people when they are anxious or nervous.
4. My grandmother lost her sense of smell at some point, and she always wore the same perfume and used the same soap because people told her it smelled nice. My mom is a true perfume connoisseur and seeks out the rarest perfumes from different perfume houses. She has taught me so much about perfume and has bought me some beautiful scents. I wore Guerlain’s Meteorites (now discontinued) to my wedding and on my honeymoon, and the scent always reminds me of that time.
5. My grandmother always used Dove soap (the pink bar) and wore White Shoulders, so those scents remind me of her. When I come across White Shoulders, I try to smell it. I love how scent is so tied to memory.
Oh, and wool dryer balls are very easy to make. I have a set from years ago — I took some wool roving (the kind you would spin into yarn, or use for felting), wound it into balls the size of softballs, and stuck them into the leg of a pair of pantyhose, knotting each one securely so it would keep its shape. Then I just through the whole pantyhose in the wash + dry with a few loads of laundry (I splurged and used warm water on my sheets and towels for a few days!), and the soap/agitation/warm water felted them down to baseball size. My son was in a Waldorf playgroup when he was younger, and one of the craft activities was making wool balls and wool eggs, etc. — so we ended up with a bunch of handmade ones (again, just layers roving squished around in warm water and soap, and then tumble-dried to shrink them up a bit). I can’t say the wool balls do as much for static as dryer sheets do. I don’t use dryer sheets in my dryer, but I keep a box of unscented ones on hand for a couple of extra-staticky skirts and dresses, just in case I want to wear them with tights in the winter.
Oh, yeah, if you’re really into a single essential oil you can definitely just mix your own. I think you want a bottle, not a glass, so the scent travels up through the reeds, if that makes sense? Something with a narrow neck. And you’d want to add a few drops of the essential oil to a carrier oil — any light, unscented oil like you’d use as a massage oil (almond, safflower, whatever). Then you just mix the essential oil, I’d start with just a few drops and adjust upward til you find the right level of scent. Actually, for people who are really sensitive to smells, this makes total sense, because you can customize and and get a very light scent.
I’m asked PF Candle to offer refills for their diffusers, because I really don’t want to buy new bottles each time I run out. Last time one dried out, I just refilled it with plain safflower oil and I’m still getting quite a bit of scent out of that bottle, tbh.
the sample comes in a small glass vial, like perfume samples do, so i may just continue to use that?
thanks for your suggestions!!! i’m going to try DIY first 🙂
ah..yes, my other grandmother used to use that same dove soap! at home we were only allowed ivory, no colors or scents at all 🙂
and part of the reason i don’t buy the colognes i like is that they’re synthetic. when you say you blend and layer the oils, what does that mean? like you put a drop of one, then a drop of another? or multiple drops? you just play around until you get something you like? And do you find that oils linger longer? what about on your clothes/towels/linens?
Like Kate said, you can put some kind of unscented carrier oil in a bottle and add essential oils to get the scent you want. Often, I will just add a drop or two to unscented lotion in my hand and and rub it all together to apply, especially after a shower. The scent does not last as long as synthetic scents, so that’s a drawback, but you can reapply during the day. I think that’s how I got the rash with Woman, because it has a roller ball and I reapplied it several times.
Essential oils will stain your clothing, so I’m careful to do it right after the shower before I get dressed, or just apply it to my wrists. And I don’t use oils on the wool dryer balls because I worry that they might stain my clothes. My husband often uses a mentholated oil for sore muscles and it is always getting on his cotton t-shirts. We really have to stain treat them to get the stains out and it’s annoying. I haven’t noticed any stains on my towels, which are white. Oh, and essential oils will also stain your bathtub. My boys use lavender in their baths sometimes and I noticed a couple of brown stains. After some research, I realized that’s what it is.
You can get roller ball bottles on Amazon. I made an eyebrow serum in one using castor oil, rosemary oil, and lavender. Essential oil brands also carry some scents that are already mixed with a carrier oil like coconut oil so you can apply them directly to your skin.
Eden’s Garden is a great EO store that is NOT a multi-level marketing scheme. They are significantly cheaper and have lots of doTerra dupes. Whole Foods also has a ton, and NOW Foods makes a lot of great oils.
I love Leila Lou by By Rosie Jane. It feels like me, with bright florals, pear, and fresh cut grass. For years and years starting in high school, I wore Moonlit Path body spray from Bath & Body Works because my 9th grade math teacher wore it and I liked the smell. I switched to one by a social good company a few years ago but they went out of business. I like fragrance, but it must be refreshing and not musky or too sweet. I would never spend more than $50 for one either.
I love perfume and have a giant collection of samples. I have a much smaller collection of full bottles, of which my favorites are Diptyque Philosykos (fig) and Frederic Malle Musc Ravageur (which is mostly sandalwood, not musk). I like sandalwood, patchouli, and neroli as single scents, but I only use essential oils in the tub (mix a few drops with a palm full of carrier oil–I use almond) and for cleaning (make a spray with equal parts vinegar and water and add essential oils). I like AuraCacia’s blends for summer, too. I am not into the current essential oil mania, because I think it’s ridiculous, but a friend from HS is one of the owners of EO Products. I know they source their own oils and I would probably feel safe recommending their essential oil products https://www.eoproducts.com/essential-oils.html in addition to AuraCacia, which has been around forever.
what is this essential oil craze?? i’ve seen bits and pieces on the periphery but haven’t paid any attention…
i love aura cacia, and i use EO’s spray deodorant! i’m not sure it works, but i use it anyway LOL
Hi, Grechen! Such a great post!
1. My favorite perfume, which has been my scent since college, is Magie Noire, by Lancome. To me, it’s just the most gorgeous, compelling, mysterious and sensual fragrance, and I absolutely love it. I’ve never found a scent I liked enough that would even make me contemplate switching. Just one spritz on my wrists and then rubbed on my neck, and it lasts all day. People always say they know it’s me because of the smell. It’s gotten harder and harder to find, since a lot of department stores have stopped carrying it, but I can still order it on-line.
2. I have an awesome eucalyptus oil that I spray in my shower and it makes my whole bathroom smell like a spa. For home fragrance I like to use a wonderful all natural spray called Citrus Magic (in Orange Vanilla Swirl), and I also have a fabulous hydro-electronic diffuser that I plug in which scents the house with any essential oil you pour into the water base. Currently I’m using a really lovely oil by Saje called Yoga. It’s a blend that makes the whole house smell so clean and relaxing and fresh. People always say my house smells really good and it’s all because of the diffuser and the Citrus Magic.
3. I don’t DIY, neither do I mix scents. But I do love the essential oils in my Yoga blend, and also an essential oil blend called Shampure by Aveda, which I buy in it’s body oil form – it comes in a small bottle and I use it on my neck and face to relax at night.
4. Throughout high school I wore Jovan Musk Oil, and just loved it. Then in college I switched to Magie Noire and that’s been my scent ever since. I do also love the smell of Femme by Rochas, and also Joy, because those are my mother’s scents that she has worn for my entire life. She wears one of those two every day, and I adore the scents on her.
5. My favorite scent memory is of the beautiful, overgrown tea olive tree that grew outside my bedroom window throughout my childhood. Every time I would open that window (especially after the rain in springtime), the gorgeous, sweet, intoxicating smell would envelope me. It’s a very evocative scent for me, and every I get a whiff of it, I just glow inside.
Scents was my life so I’ll answer!
What’s your favorite perfume/cologne to wear?
My latest favorite was Molecule 01 but I got tired of it pretty quickly. It’s a unique, barely-there sort of scent that definitely leaves a trail and has a cult following.
What are your favorite scents and ways to use them?
I’m more drawn to essential oils these days. My latest one is Ylang Ylang.
Do you DIY? Mix scents? Use essential oils?
I’ve done some mixing of scents in the past, what we used to call “layering”, but never really enjoyed it much. I know a lot of people love layering Jo Malone fragrances.
What’s your history with scents?
I used to have a perfume blog (started in 2006) that is no longer active but it was amongst the first perfume blogs in the world (LOL). I lived and breathed perfume back then. I went to numerous scent events, met up with other perfume fanatics, and had a giant collection. My interest was mostly in niche perfume. Then after working for L’Artisan Parfumeur in Chicago, I got burnt out. I lost all interest in perfume. I still enjoy smelling fragrances but cannot seem to wear them any more (only got worse after having 2 kids). In addition, my nose is so trained in smelling scents most of what comes out these days just smells like something I’ve already smelled before.
What’s your favorite scent memory?
My favorite childhood scent memory is my friend’s mother’s bottle of Magie Noire by Lancome. The way it smelled then was just the epitome of elegance and all things French. When they brought it back several years ago it was never the same.
Ooh, I have an essential oil based mosquito repellant too -Aromaflage – I love it. I hate mosquito repellant (but skeeters love me….and sometimes I work in malaria or dengue endemic areas…..)
I love Santal33, but I don’t have it anymore. That is an easy to wear scent that goes with any season.
1. I have too many perfumes to choose just one. I love my colognes in summer and my ambers in winter and my leathers (waaaaayyyy too many leather scents) in autumn and light florals/ green scents in spring. I don’t do well with sweet scents or gourmands as they are called, but some of the winter scents have a few sweet notes in them. Today I’m wearing a creamy incense perfume by Serge Lutens called L’Orpheline. I’m also addicted to incense perfumes.
2. I love having scented candles. Diptyque are my favorite because of how strong they are, but they are very expensive. I do have some perfumes I use only to scent things like laundry, rugs, sheets, bathroom curtains… Many years ago I tried the light bulb scent rings and put oils in those, but then the rings got sticky and gross.
3. No DIY, I’m lazy.
4. I had a couple really cheap perfumes when I was in elementary school (Incognito, Navy, Anais Anais) but then didn’t really wear anything until about 6 years ago. I was obsessed with collecting perfumes, but now I’m back to a more moderate amount. There are some perfumes I still want, especially Ormonde Woman by Ormonde Jayne, but in general I’m ok with my collection now. A few years ago I had a blog on tumblr where I reviewed scents, but I’ve not updated it in ages.
5. I don’t have too many scent memories. My Nana always wore Shalimar by Guerlain and my mother hated it, but I learned to like it. I don’t wear Shalimar, but I appreciate it for what it was. My wedding day perfume/anniversary is Lyric Woman by Amouage.