As a scent-sensitive person, it’s hard to also be a perfume lover. I go through so many bottles and vials just to find scents that don’t cause me to have an intense migraine. Some people may say it’s just not worth it, but I’ve always loved being surrounded by beautiful fragrances. My perfume is part of who I am – I even wear it at home!
Even after downsizing my collection last year, I still have a lot of bottles left on the shelf. I love them all and can’t see myself getting rid of any of them anytime soon, so at the very least I decided to try and rotate my perfumes seasonally to make sure everything gets used. I set aside a trio for April that pretty much fits my mood perfectly during this transitional month.
BASTIDE ROSE OLIVIER:
- Top notes: Litchi, Bergamot, Tangerine
- Heart: Grasse Rose, Olive, Pink Peony, Violet
- Base notes: Amber, Musk, White Cedar, Cashmere Woods
Roses are not exactly in season right now, but have you ever smelled a rose garden in the rain? It’s magical! That’s probably why I’m drawn to Bastide Rose Olivier ($130) right now. It obviously smells amazing as is, but the aroma becomes even more special on a rainy day, to my nose anyway. Rose in Rose Olivier is front and center, surrounded by citrus fruits, peonies, and violets. Bastide also added a hint of olive to the mix, and that’s not a note I see often in fragrances. Basically, this is not your grandma’s old rose fragrance at all. This one is bold, modern and young, and also kind of classy.
PROVISION LAS FLORES:
- Top notes: Orange Flower Absolute, Elemi, Poplar Bud
- Heart: Canyon Air Accord
- Base notes: Clean Amber
Provision Las Flores ($125) is the newest fragrance in my collection, but I’ve been wearing it almost every day since I received it in the mail as a gift from the lovely Sherri Sebastian. She also created Resonance – another masterpiece that I couldn’t get enough of this past fall and winter. Las Flores is the perfect scent for a sunny day, whether it’s spring or summer; and it also immediately puts me in a good mood. If Rose Olivier has a calm, relaxed, maybe even a little melancholic vibe, Las Flores is like a burst of energy and a breath of fresh air. Floral fragrances can be overwhelming sometimes, even cloying, but that’s not the case with Las Flores at all. It is equally fresh as it is floral, with a spoonful of warm and inviting amber.
LANCÔME LA VIE EST BELLE:
- Top notes: Pear, Black Currant
- Heart: Orange Blossom, Jasmine, Iris
- Base notes: Patchouli, Vanilla Bean, Tonka Bean, Praline
A lot of department store perfumes smell a little too generic to me, so I was surprised by how much I ended up enjoying Lancôme La Vie Est Belle ($72). It’s sweet and a little powdery with a hint of delicious fruits and spices. It smells like a yummy dessert sprinkled with berries over the rich vanilla frosting, served at the table decorated with freshly cut flowers. This fragrance is perfect for a night out, and I want to make a habit of using it more often this month, since I barely made a dent in it. Really though, I am very happy that a fragrance so heavily advertised in the media turned out to be a good one.
You know what upsets me the most when I look at my perfume collection? That it looks like a collection rather than products that are loved and used daily. None of the bottles I own are even halfway empty, even those that I had for many years. And even my so-called favorites appear like they’ve barely been touched. I guess part of it is the super efficient atomizers that spritz a tiny amount at a time so it looks like the supply never depletes, but I really need to be using everything more often, otherwise what’s the point of owning all of it? Do you guys have that problem or is it just me?
What fragrances are you wearing lately? Do you have a favorite one? Let me know in the comments!
