What's your signature scent (or scents)? - YouLookFab Forum

Category

General

Welcome! Read about what to wear and how to wear it on the YLF Blog. Join the YLF Forum to ask specific questions or just chat about fashion and personal style. Or check out the curated list of things we love in YLF Finds.

Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

What's your signature scent (or scents)?

Ariadne

Veteran

I've been wearing the same perfume for about three years, and I suspect I'll keep wearing it for as long as it's manufactured! It's Evelyn Rose by Crabtree and Evelyn:
http://store.crabtree-evelyn.c.....-rose.html

It combines all of my favourite scents: fresh rose, with hints of peony, violet, jasmine, and peach. It smells like an old-fashioned rose still on the bush. I LOVE it. It's funny, my personality and interests suggest I should like a more edgy, herbal, citrusy, green perfume or a chipre but this is what I love. It's fresh, sweet but not too sweet, and feminine. I grew up with parents who loved to garden, I adore fresh flowers, and my granfmother always grew different roses and would let me take one home with me every time I visited, so I guess it makes sense.

What fragrance do you wear the most and why?

General

101 replies

Latest reply was from HannahC

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Kenzo Flower. Going on 12 years. Never wear anything else. Probably never will. Still gives me great joy putting in on EVERY morning of my life. I feel naked without my scent.

My Mum wore First by Van Cleef for 20 years. Wore YSL Opium for 10 years. If it’s not broken, don’ t fix it :0)

Louise

Veteran

Ooh rose my favourite smell
In summer i wear Roses des verges by YSL
Winter -Versace red jeans and
mango delirium in the evening x

Sarah

(website)

Veteran

I'm still trying to figure mine out. Right now I'm wearing what I own:
Vera Wang Princess
Ralph Lauren Style
John Varvatos (small sample when I bought Vintage by John Varvatos for my husband, but I really like it for me heehee!)

My mom has worn Lancome Tresore and for about 15 years and before that it was Anais Anais http://www.beauty.com/bal/sear.....%20perfume. Sometimes she switches between the two. But those scents will always be "mom" to me.

Despite the recent purchase of Vintage by John Varvatos for my husband, his signature scent is still Reaction by Kenneth Cole Reaction. Super sappy confession ahead: When we were dating and engaged long distance I used to stop by the cologne counters to get a whiff of his scent.

Dawn

(website)

For the last few months, I have been wearing Chanel Coco Mademoiselle. It just smells so sensual without being overwhelmingly sexy. It's an oriental and floral scent. I simply love it. I also wear Armani Code for Women when I am going out to dinner or the pub as I find it too strong for daytime use.

Ele

(website)

I wear Flowerbomb by Victor & Rolf. It's what's known as a "floriental", and has all the notes I love- bergamot, tea, jasmine, rose, amber and a touch of patchouli. I'm like you, Brianna, in that I'm not really "girly" at all, but I love this feminine fragrance.

I also have a bottle of Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel, which has similar notes. On, me though, it isn't as special, and I won't repurchase when it runs out. It was a gift and I was happy to try it, but like Angie, I'm a "if it's not broke, don't fix it" girl.

Ana

(website)

Veteran

I tried and tried to find a "signature scent" that I could be happy wearing all the time, because I really like the idea of a scent being part of your overall "look." It turns out that I just love perfume as a thing in itself (if that makes sense). I really enjoy smelling new perfumes, finding out what family they fall into and trying them on, even more so than actually wearing them. If I had lots of disposable income, I would probably end up with a huge collection. There is one perfume that I have samples of, and I will buy a full size bottles of when the sample runs out. It is actually a men's cologne called, "Jubilation XXV" by Amouage. I would classify it as a floral oriental, so I think it's too heavy to wear in hot weather. I still haven't found a "summer" fragrance I like as much, since light green/marine scents usually end up giving me a headache. I absolutely hate the smell of iris or colone. Heavy vanilla/candy or super-floral scents are not my thing either. "Diorella" by Dior is nice, very retro, but still edgy enough to be very modern and wearable.

My mom's all-time favorite perfume is "Caleche" EDP by Hermes. My grandmother wore different perfumes: "Chanel No. 5" by Chanel, "Nuit de Noel" by Caron, "Caleche" by Hermes to name a few that I can remember. All were the actual oil based parfums and not EDPs. She loved the smell of English Lavender, so when she wasn't wearing perfume, she always smelled like lavender, probably from the soap she used, which was just Yardley's of London.

Michelle

(website)

Veteran

Since the age of 17, I've been wearing Mariel by H2O. I am terrible at describing the notes in a perfume, but this one has a light, citrousy/floral blend that I just love. It's absolutely part of my identity, and I've had more than one ex-boyfriend talk about the memories it stirs up when he encounters a perfume that smells similar to mine (apparently not that many people wear it here, which I love)!! I recently saw one of the exes with whom I'm still on very good terms, and after he hugged me hello he said "There it is, the perfume! I was waiting for it!" On the rare occasions when I feel like wearing something different, like for evening occasions, I usually put on Chanel Allure. I've been partial to Clinique Happy for awhile, too.
Sarah, your story about swinging by the counter is too cute! I used to do something similar in a long-distance relationship, i.e. borrow sweatshirts belonging to a dude who wore the same scent (coolwater, back then).
When I was growing up my mom wore Lise Wattier, which I believe is a French Canadian brand, but has been wearing Elizabeth Arden Fifth Avenue for at least a decade now. Nothing makes me want to give her a hug more than that scent!
Fun thread!

Vani

Veteran

For about 6 years now I've been using D&G Light Blue for summer and daytime and CK Truth for cooler evenings. I LOVE CK Truth and have been told it smells particularly good on me. I like anything with white flowers per se. I've been trying to find something a little less mainstream and more complex but they never end up smelling good on me. I'd rather sniff them out of the bottle!

Angie I know you're anti D&G and I swear this is the only D&G product I have. I had no idea they were involved in animal cruelty, so thats good enough to turn me off them. After this bottle is done, I hope to find something else that works for me. Maybe some of those perfumes that sound like they smell bizarre, like metal or rain.

Melody

I love Burberry London, and happily, my dh picked it out for me as a Christmas gift a couple of years ago. We were out together shopping for the family and he disappeared. Later in the day, I was trying different perfumes and almost bought one. He had to tell me about his purchase, and let me smell it to see if I wanted to return it and get the one I picked out. His was better and I've been wearing it since! I usually carry it with me in my tote to make sure I don't forget to put it on when rushing out of the house in the mornings. It's just a really nice light floral that works on me and doesn't aggravate our allergies!

My kids associate the perfume with me and I like that when they're adults they will inevitably smell something similar and think of me. I will never forget how my dad smelled when he came home from work. My mom did not wear purfume very often, so it's cold cream that makes me think of her.

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

This thread makes me so sad!
I hadn't worn perfume (although I had worn scented oils and oil blends) since high school, and last Christmas I decided that I wanted a bottle. My husband and I have very different taste preferences in scent, so we planned a day to go perfume shopping together (not an easy feat!). We must have smelled 50 different thigns before we could agree on Calvin Klein Euphoria. We both really love it, and I started wearing it only to discover that my son is *terribly* allergic to it, and most other perfumes. I now have a big bottle that I cannot wear except for a special evening, and then I have to shower right afterward. I plan on getting the boy out to a Body Shop so we can test and see if the perfume oils will bother him or not. I'd love to have something to wear every day, but I can't make my kid sick doing it.

Vani

Veteran

Khris, I was going to suggest the perfume oils. Or even solid perfumes. I don't really know the difference in composition of bottled and solid perfume but thought I'd through it out there!

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

Thanks Vani- we will look for those, too.

April

Veteran

For a few years it was Ellen Tracy (by you know who) but I wanted a fresh start and am now loving Red Door by Elizabeth Arden.

High School: Tuxedo by Ralph Lauren (no longer manufactured)
College: Chloe by Karl Lagerfeld
Thirties: Beautiful by Estee Lauder

cciele

Veteran

I don't wear a scent, but reading about all yours makes me want to try! I definitely have good memories of my mom's perfume (Chanel No. 5) and how I loved getting a spritz of it when I was a little girl. So perhaps it's time for me to find a signature scent and give my girls a similar memory!

My main problem is I haven't found a scent that resonates with me. Although Fresh Sake comes pretty close.

bella

(website)

Veteran

Like Angie I've been wearing the same perfume for the last 12 years. Mine is Aqua di Gio for Women. I am not apt at describing the scents, but Sephora description tells me that this perfume has notes of Sweet Pea, Jasmine, Freesia, White Hyacinth, etc.
Unlike Angie, I guess, In addition to Gio, I usually have one or two other perfumes at hand and I alternate according to my mood. In the past I used Eau D'Issey, Gucci Envy and Venezia (which is now unfortunately discontinued). Right now, in addition to my Gio, I have a bottle of Daisy by Marc Jacobs. I really like it but it is not very long lasting at all.

Ariadne

Veteran

It's so much fun to read this thread! I especially love the stories of special memories attached to various fragrances. Cold cream makes me think of my mom too (Pond's in particular).

Laura

(website)

Veteran

Anais Anais is a favorite of mine. It's very feminine - gardenia, jasmine, lily of the valley. I've been wearing it on and off for 20 years.

It's fun to experiment with mixing Jo Malone scents -- I love the lime basil mandarin body wash, and you layer it with verbena lotion. Then you don't need a perfume!

Kyle

Veteran

For evening, Chanel No. 5.

For day, Hermes Eau d'Orange Verte OR a grapefruit oil from L'Occitane in Paris (which I've never found in the US). Love citrus.

But ALWAYS super sparingly. Over-perfuming is a real pet peeve!

taylor

Veteran

Chanel...CoCo..and CoCo Mademoiselle, and #5...for 20 yrs. or so:)

Lena

Ha! Sometimes I envy you guys who have signature scents. I'm all over the place, and like Ana I really prefer to collect and analyze perfumes (full bottles and samples) rather than commit to one specific thing. And surprisingly, I wear very little perfume. Mostly I sample scents on my arms (for easy sniffing access during the day).

It's a miracle I'm committing to one specific scent this season. Right now it's Hermes Eau des Merveilles (peppery, orange, salty, woody. My favorite description of it is driftwood on the beach (but nothing aquatic to my nose)). Once it gets super hot I will introduce Diptyque Philosykos (nice green fig) and Guerlain Vetiver for men (love vetiver for summer).

Dashrashi

Veteran

Bulgari Eau Parfumee au The Vert Extreme! It's like CKOne but for grownups! That, and CB I Hate Perfume's Russian Caravan Tea. I got a compliment in an elevator this week on that one.

Kari

Veteran

Am I the odd one out for not wearing perfume daily? I used to, but got out of the habit when I lived with a roommate who was prone to migraines from strong scents. To be on the safe side I substituted subtle lotions instead of perfume. Since I stopped wearing perfume I notice other scented products on my body, such as my shampoo or hair pomade, much more than I used to. I'm also a lot more sensitive/reactive to other people's perfumes and have had allergies triggered by being around people who overload on scent.

Like Melody, my signature scent when I *did* wear perfume daily was Burberry London. I liked the way it smelled on me throughout the day. Maybe someday I'll go back to it.

Lena

Ah, the green Bulgari tea. A great summer scent!

Speaking of teas, I adore L'Artisan's Tea for Two. It's a delicious smoky spicy tea that turns creamy and slightly floral.

Coco Mlle is terrific all around.

Dashrashi

Veteran

And for summer, L'Artisan The Pour un Ete is the most perfect rendition of jasmine tea I have ever smelled. I LOVE it.

Lena

Dashrashi, the jasmine tea sounds intriguing. Thanks for the rec!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

(I love it when "jasmine" gets used in conversation).

HannahC

Ohhh, perfume!

I wore Chanel's Coco and later Coco Mademoiselle for 15 years straight and was getting compliments all the time (including once in a cafe where a lady rose from her chair and went around sniffing until she reached me and asked me what is this wonderful scent) until last year I realized that I am so used to the scent that I cannot feel it anymore on myself. Then I did a little sniffing research (using "the perfumed court", which is a wonderful source for samples) and understood that my favourite group of scents is "chypre" - green-woody-oakmossy (I am most likely doing terrible oversimplifications here, sorry ...).

Following this discovery I found my new favourite scents. The best one is, sadly, one that I cannot buy - it is from Les Exclusifs of Chanel: "31 Rue Cambon", and it is only available in brick-and-mortar Chanel boutiques. I am making do with samples. Fortunately, the close second is widely available: "Mitzouko" by Guerlain. I also have "Paloma" by Paloma Picasso - it is a very fresh scent that feels like I just stepped out of the shower: I use it for extremely hot days, it keeps me cool I also have several samples and 5 ml mini-vials, which I use often. I love Serge Lutens' perfumes, but they are so strong that I have yet to decide whether I want a full bottle of something so potent. I wear perfume every day - I feel strange without a scent.

Speaking of perfumes and jasmine, I recently read "Bois de Jasmin", one of my favorite perfume-related blogs, and found a comment by ... Angie Cox! Angie, could it be you by chance?

rute

Veteran

I'm not faithful to any perfume, I adore to use different scents, I would like to have a signature scent.. but I just can't.. Here are my Top tree .. for the moment...:
1. Madame - Jean Paul Gaultier
2. Coco Mademoiselle - Chanel
3 The new nº 5 scent .. nº5 Eua premiere - Chanel

Lena

Oh Hannah, we need a special handshake or something I started obsessively reading all the perfume blogs several years ago, and Bois De Jasmin was the first one I found. Hee, and yes, "theperfumedcourt" is such a tempting place.

31 Rue Cambon - YES! I'm going to go try it on again to refresh my memory. I also really like 28 La Pousa and No.18 from that collection. Oh my. I'm saving my samples for special occasions.

Mitsouko and I are not getting along this year Speaking of Serge Lutens, I haven't tried a lot from that line, and I absolutely adore Daim Blond (powdery buttery apricot leather).

Have you tried Estee Lauder's old Azuree (not the Tom Ford one)? It's a fab herbal leather chypre (and very affordable).

12…4