I am a FragranceNet.com Brand Ambassador, but all product suggestions and opinions are genuinely my own. #FragranceNet
The sense of smell is extremely powerful and can take control of different emotions, change your mood, and tie a memory to a specific person or event. Grandma’s lavender laundry sachets, mom’s Bulgarian rose perfume oil, dad who forever smells like Old Spice deodorant and Nivea aftershave, the smell of cedarwood in the cabin where you spent your 5th Christmas… The memory of the event may fade over time, but one whiff of that familiar fragrance will always bring it back. That’s why knowing how to find your signature scent can be the beginning of your story in someone else’s memory, and that is precisely what I wanted to talk about today.
Do you want to find the one and only scent that people will remember you by? Or do you want to own a library of fragrances that will always be associated with you? Either way, while the task seems terribly overwhelming, it’s actually much easier to achieve than you think. But first, let’s talk about the scent families. There are four broad fragrance classes that sprout into sub-classes:
- Floral – tree blossoms, flowers, powdery notes
- Oriental – incense, amber, sandalwood, patchouli, vanilla
- Woody – vetiver, oakmoss, woods, leather
- Fresh – citrus, fruits, berries, bergamot, aquatic, grass
From the fragrances you own, tried in stores, or smelled on other people, which ones stood out to you as the most pleasant? It could be rich orientals or crisp citrusy notes, blooming florals or warm woods and leather. Whichever fragrance family evokes the most pleasant feeling is going to be the basis for your signature scent. Really, it’s that easy!
Now that you narrowed down the fragrance tree, it’s time to figure out which key components you want the scent to have, as most fragrances include at least three notes. Sure, there are single-note creations out there, and if you want one note to be prominent throughout the entire wear, you should definitely check those out. As for me, I decided that I am most attracted to woody fragrances. They may be on the fresh side with notes of citrus, fruits, and bergamot, or more spicy with hints of vanilla, sandalwood, and amber, but I definitely prefer a woody base. While browsing FragranceNet.com I stumbled upon Tom Ford Santal Blush [$180, available here], which sounded perfect on paper.
- Top notes: fenugreek, carrot seeds, spices, caraway seeds, cinnamon
- Middle notes: rose, ylang-ylang, jasmine
- Base notes: Australian sandalwood, cedar, benzoin, musk, oud
My imagination pictured a wonderful oriental bouquet, but it wasn’t until I actually had the bottle in my hand that I realized just how perfect this fragrance is for me. You see, when I was a little girl my earliest scent memory was my mom’s sandalwood fan. Beautifully carved out of sandalwood tree, that handcrafted fan had very intricate floral design lovingly created by Indian artisans. Mom kept it in a special silk-lined box like a treasure, and I always begged her to fan me with it so I could catch a few exotic woodsy whiffs. To remind you, that I grew up in Russia that was still USSR back then [well shoot, I just revealed my age!], and sandalwood was definitely not a household staple, so those moments when I got to watch mom use the fan were very special.
Remember what I told you in the first paragraph? I completely forgot everything about the fan, but when I spritzed Tom Ford Santal Blush on my wrist the memories all came rushing back into my head, and I spent a good few hours reminiscing. The power of fragrance is truly magical! Will Tom Ford Santal Blush become my signature fragrance? I think it will, because I don’t know a single soul that wears sandalwood around here. And because I actually love wearing it, which is also very important.
So if you are still wondering how to find your signature scent, don’t just settle for “nice” and “okay”, and simply go by fragrances you love and bouquets that evoke real emotions. The most important rule here: those feelings must be positive. Enjoying your own scent positively affects your body language, and a confident woman that loves herself is definitely memorable, as is her perfume.
I know people often say they love too many different fragrances to commit to a signature scent, but I found it not to be true by offering them a simple test – if they could narrow down their collection to just three favorites. Most women I asked easily named their top 3, and more often than not those top 3 were from the same scent family, only with slightly different supporting notes. They were very surprised when I told them they had just found their signature fragrance[s]!
So there you go, I hope I helped you figure out how to find your signature scent, or at least made the task a little bit easier. If you are still struggling, make sure to take the test and narrow down your entire fragrance stash to 3 favorites – the result will help you figure out a lot about your scent preferences. Good luck!
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Do you have a signature fragrance, and if you do what is it? What are some of your favorite scents: fresh, woody, oriental, or floral? Have you tried Tom Ford cosmetics, skincare, or fragrances? Let me know in the comments below!
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