My 3 Favorite Fragrances Right Now
Hey guys, sorry for neglecting the blog this past month! If you follow me on Instagram, you probably already know that I had to go on a quick medical trip to Russia for a week, so I’ve been mostly posting on stories to show you what COVID-19 situation was like in other parts of the world at the time. I safely returned home on Monday and have been on quarantine ever since, even though CDC in Chicago gave me an all-clear. Obviously, things have changed drastically in a matter of days, and some healthcare experts suggest that Chicago [along with LA and Detroit] may become the new hot spot after NYC in the coming weeks. Of course, I hope that doesn’t happen, but we must all remain vigilant and do our part the best we can to help flatten the curve.
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Like many of you, I’ve been feeling down because of the pandemic. So much anxiety, uncertainty, and worry for my friends and family – especially my grandparents and my sister, who had to travel across Europe for work as everything was happening and is currently in self-isolation in Switzerland. In light of the ongoing outbreak, this whole beauty blogging thing just felt so trivial and I thought that maybe no one really wants to see random beauty content anymore… Or do you?
Truth is, despite everything that’s going on, my own passion for beauty products remains unchanged, so I will do my best to set all doubts aside and continue business as usual. I was actually thinking that it’s been a while since I shared my favorite fragrances with you all, so I want to talk about the three I am currently using most often. Somehow, smelling nice makes social distancing more bearable!
CHANEL No.5 Eau de Parfum Spray* ($105) – I didn’t “get” No.5 for a long time, and one day something just clicked. Throughout my childhood, No.5 was my grandma’s signature fragrance, and my mom started using it as well at some point in her 30s. While mom didn’t stick with it for long, my grandma never used anything but. Much like my mom, I developed a newfound love for No.5 in my early 30s, and even though it’s far from being the only fragrance I use, Chanel No.5 has been among my top 5 or top 10 most-worn perfumes.
You know what I realized? After going through phases with aquatic, fruity, and citrusy scents in my teens, followed by floral, musky, and woody in my 20’s, to experimenting with spicy and even masculine colognes in my 30s – No.5 has them all and they’re all well-represented! It’s like one of those curry dishes that uses everything you have in the fridge and somehow still tastes amazing. I know it’s a very unglamorous description for such a glamorous and classic perfume, but that’s the best way to describe it. Chanel No.5 has a little bit of everything, so it will work pretty much for everyone, except for people who have very strong dislikes [like how some people absolutely hate florals, or citrus, or spicy notes, for example]. I went through phases of dislikes too, which explains why I didn’t like this fragrance before and now, suddenly I do.
Provision Scents Resonance Eau de Parfum* ($125) – I once described Resonance as “a hug in a bottle”, and I still stand by that description. This is my comfort zone scent that instantly makes me feel so elegant and sexy, and it’s one of the few fragrances that can last on my skin for days. I kid you not, on my clothes and hair it stays at medium-strength until the next wash! Resonance is made with top-notch natural ingredients and is highly concentrated. If it wasn’t already marked as Eau de Parfum, I would have assumed it’s a straight-up Parfum because of the potency. One spritz is all I use at a time, which explains why this bottle lasted so long even though I had it for over 3 years now.
Resonance will be a fun discovery for anyone that prefers deeper, more sensual scents. It has the vibe of Tom Ford’s Black Orchid, but with better ingredients and without the pretentious marketing. Spicy, woody and oriental fragrance lovers will be delighted!
Phlur Hanami Eau de Parfum* ($96) – Hanami means “flower viewing” in Japanese, and usually refers to watching blooming sakura trees or sometimes plum trees. Despite the name, Phlur’s Hanami is not a delicate floral concoction, instead delving into the creamy notes of sandalwood and hazelnut. White florals are present, of course, but they are strongly accented by fig and dare I say, something almost sour or salty? It’s certainly an interesting mix, and a non-banal way to play up a floral scent that results in something like a candied Nutella milkshake. Hanami doesn’t last very long and stays close to the skin, so you won’t be that annoying walking cloud at the office [or, at home in our case right now].
Phlur was just a small indie brand when I fell in love with Hanami, but now their products are even sold at Sephora. I’m so proud of these guys!
SAMPLES:
CHANEL only offers samples at their department store counters and boutiques, as far as I know, so you’ll have to wait until the end of the quarantine to get one. You could also find them on eBay but there’s no guarantee that it will be authentic.
Provision offers a Discovery Trio and a single Sample Vial of Resonance, both of which are currently out of stock. Try reaching out to them using the contact form on the website, maybe something can be arranged.
Phlur lets you build your own Custom Trial Set, or you can get a 10ml travel-sized vial of Hanami at Sephora.
Are you using perfume, body spray, or room fragrance to boost your mood these days? What are some of your favorites right now?
*Indicates PR Samples.
