Link Love: News from the World of Fragrance

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Inge is senior editor and a regular contributor at YLF.

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Link Love: News from the World of Fragrance

— by Inge

on August 3, 2023

Let’s dive into the world of fragrance this week:

I thought this was a great read: The story of Santa Maria Novella, the world’s oldest apothecary and its fragrances.
Fashionista investigates whether perfume brands can make a “truly sustainable” scent.
They’re also reporting that body mists are having a moment (again).
I like the idea of tea-infused fragrances!
According to Coveteur fragrance is having a “tennaissance.”

Fab Links from Our Members

Roberta thought this was definitely worth the read: “Barbie and the Cinematic History of Weaponized Pink.“

Nuancedream wanted to share this article outlining the evolution from jock bra to jog bra to sports bra.

The NYTimes reports that crop tops for men are back. Carol adds: “I’m sharing this because I’m getting a vintage one as a joke for my boyfriend… who was very much cool in the eighties. I’m glad to see it’s more than a gimmick for some men.”

“Get what you pay for? Not really, says a comparison study of luxe and low-end clothes.” Kookaburra adds: “The title says it all… plus as we know all too well, price is no guarantee the item will be comfortable and will make you feel fabulous every time you wear it.”

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32 comments · Add a comment

suntiger

Any Fabbers still on Team Fragrance? At least in my area it’s rare that I ever smell anyone with heavy perfume. It used to be much more common. I use essential oils if I remember and am going out at night, but much less than I did before.

August 3, 2023 at 4:19 am

Rejoiceandbe

Active Member

I think fragrance is a bit of a cultural “thing”. Uk women don’t feel properly dressed without a spritz of something. Living in North America, I have moved to lighter scents out of respect for others but still feel undressed without anything. My skin chemistry is such that nothing last long on me.

August 3, 2023 at 4:37 am

April

Veteran

I am still Team Fragrance. I spray my clothing, not my skin, and I am rarely out and about with others so there are no sensitive noses to bother.

I am fascinated by the phenomenon of “old lady perfume.” We all know what it is when we sniff it, but what IS the ingredient that makes it “old lady”?

August 3, 2023 at 4:38 am

sabimct

Active Member

As I reach a stage of life where I have more time and money to spend on these things, I am curious about trying a fragrance for the first time in a very long time.

I know I would lean toward something light.

Any tips on how one goes about finding the right fragrance?

August 3, 2023 at 4:54 am

EmptyS

I would love to know what makes a perfume an “old lady” perfume because I too recognize it, but have no idea what defines it.

August 3, 2023 at 5:06 am

Sisi

Veteran

Very interesting reads ! I have especially appreciated the article about Santa Maria Novella – I like their ancient colognes, among which Acqua della Regina. Lately I have becom Team Eau de Cologne. Especially in Summer I love to spritz myself with something light and fresh before leaving the house.

August 3, 2023 at 5:27 am

Ginger

Veteran

Also Team Fragrance. My nose is picky so one of the reasons I got into fragrance is to try to find out what is particularly irritating. Along the way I discovered I really like some things.

I think “old lady” scents are those with heavy powdery notes, but I’m not experienced enough to name examples. There have been discussions about the concept in the fragrance community, and how in the future, today’s sweet vanilla/marshmallow/gourmand scents will be the “old lady” scents of the day! It’s quite relative. My nose is limited but I’ve liked everything I’ve tried from Guerlain, and quite a bit from Penhaligon’s.

August 3, 2023 at 5:28 am

rachylou

Veteran

“Powdery” was my first thought too re “old-lady scents.”

And yeah, no, fragrance makes me ill. Makes my skin and lungs burn. Even the scents of soaps and deodorants. Actually… I just saw something about laundry soaps banned in NY State because of their chemistry, I presume. Interestingly, they were all ones that make me ill because of their scents.

August 3, 2023 at 5:50 am

RobinF

Veteran

I can’t wear perfume – it gives me terrible headaches. Once in a while I can wear a very light spritz of a very light scent and be OK but I generally avoid fragrances.

Fun article about the color pink. I have been trying to understand the draw of the Barbie movie but maybe now I get it. I need to go back and re-watch the movies mentioned! Some are old favorites.

August 3, 2023 at 6:05 am

Eliza

Veteran

No fragrance here. In the short run, I find many of them are migraine triggers or highly irritating to throat/nose and I wonder about their cumulative impact over time. Drs’ offices here request ‘no scent’ frequently. I understand their appeal, but avoid them.

August 3, 2023 at 6:12 am

cat2

Veteran

Team Fragrance here. I tend to pick either citrus or vanilla or spice notes.

August 3, 2023 at 6:19 am

ANewMindset

Active Member

I have been using Henry Rose when I wear perfume lately – its EWG verified. https://henryrose.com/
I bought the 11 fragrance sampler. I love the fact that they are “safe”… they smell great but i do feel like some are more intense than i would like.
Have others tried it?

August 3, 2023 at 6:27 am

morethanbeige

Veteran

I wear fragrance occasionally. My girlfriend gave me some that I like—a glass tube that fits in my purse. I really like the scent, but do find that I don’t want to cause others any physical irritation, so I wear only on occasion.

August 3, 2023 at 6:32 am

Runcarla

Veteran

I’m scent curious. Don’t wear it, but it influences what I plant in my garden. I’d like to visit those secret Medici gardens!

August 3, 2023 at 6:40 am

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I love fragrances, Inge!

I love smelling nice scents when people walk by. I loved smelling my Oma and Mama’s scents. Tea Rose for my Oma, and First or Opium for Mama. It was comforting and nostalgic some how. Scents are extremely memorable! They make me happy

I wear a little scent every day. I don’t feel dressed without it! It’s been the same scent for 27 years. Kenzo Flower is my scent. Light, floral and fresh.

I stick to Jasmine, Rose, Magnolia, and Citrus scents for our home.

Hubs Greg is sensitive to fragrances. It triggers headaches. I must be doing something right because my own daily fragrance and our scents at home do nothing but delight Greg. Maybe he’s very used to it? Maybe they are not the types of scents that trigger his headaches? I get that fragrances can be very tricky.

August 3, 2023 at 7:04 am

LJP

Veteran

I love personal fragrance, but can’t wear it at work so it’s pretty much a weekend-only treat . A member at the gym (male) was a cosmetics/fragrance sales rep for Shiseido (which was /is the parent company for a bunch of well-known fragrance lines like Issey Miyake and narcisso rodriguez , and he gifted me a big bag of full-size unopened bottles of 5-6 different fragrances . I’m having fun trying them all out with no obligation to keep or buy

August 3, 2023 at 7:45 am

Dee

Veteran

I don’t intentionally wear specific fragrances per say, but my deodorant, shampoo or hand soap etc.. may have its own fragrance to them. I’m not crazy about all these competing scents really.

Yes, price is certainly no guarantee of durability. I agree that the fashion industry should be pushed into making their products much more durable. There’s way too much waste already.

August 3, 2023 at 8:09 am

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I’m scent curious again, too. I wore scent always in my 20s but stopped. I would like to find a new signature that feels like me.

August 3, 2023 at 8:31 am

unfrumped

Veteran

I like the idea of perfumes and finding “ my” perfect fragrance ( or a couple), much like a clothing style persona. I have a few in the drawer. But, in practice I don’t wear them. Partly because of decades of avoiding it while working in hospitals including with some the most sensitive patients, so never got fragrances integrated into any habit, and the work schedule didn’t lend itself to any predictable regular night off / night out to develop a ritual . And then because actual perfumes might be expensive and used up so slowly, it seemed less appealing.

I do think I’m underutilizing “ fragrance opportunities “ in more basic or ephemeral experiences like bath products and lotions. It’s one reason why the occasional higher- end hotel toiletries are fun ( nowadays these might mostly turn up from a DH business trip), since might feature a brand or fragrance combination that’s new to me.

August 3, 2023 at 9:02 am

nuancedream

Veteran

I love fragrance, but once summer rolls around, I let it go. Fragrance attracts various stinging and biting pests to me. Once the temps cool a bit, I resume wearing fragrance. My signature fragrance had been Elie Saab Le Parfum, but I discovered Good Girl by Carolina Herrera and absolutely love it.

August 3, 2023 at 9:51 am

kj2008

Interesting! I might not get to do any shopping at Macy’s or Nordstrom’s for a while, but if I do, I’ll stop by the perfume counter. Just to check it out…

August 3, 2023 at 10:16 am

Kate

Veteran

Team No Scent. I have migraines, and many scents, not just perfume, can trigger one. I’m grateful that more manufacturers are offering fragrance-free versions of their products.

August 3, 2023 at 12:47 pm

Inge

(website)

Moderator

suntiger – In my neck of the woods, many people do still wear fragrance. I still do too, but less often than before the pandemic (I have worked from home for many years, and kind of got out of the habit of applying perfume during the pandemic).

April – Yes, I too spray my clothing.

sabimct – Maybe you could start a forum thread to get tips. Forum members like Kari e.g. are very knowledgeable about perfumes.

Sisi – Oh now I’m curious about the Acqua della Regina.

Ginger – It can be quite the journey to discover exactly what it is that is irritating for you, isn’t it. I’ve never tried anything from Penhaligon’s but would love to.

rachylou – That is very interesting about the laundry soaps!

Eliza – That’s also so interesting (and understandable) about the Drs’ offices; I’ve never seen that here in Belgium.

ANewMindset – That is a new-to-me brand, off to investigate!

morethanbeige – That sounds very handy for on the go!

Runcarla – Ooooh!!! Can I come with you?

Angie – Kenzo Flowers suits you so well! I actually think of you each time I smell it!

LJP – WOW, what an excellent gift!!

Dee – Hear, hear about there being too much waste already.

Suz – I hope you find your signature scent in the near future!

unfrumped – Very good idea to use those products more often in your search for your perfect fragrance.

nuancedream – Ah! I hadn’t thought of the “bug” factor yet.

Kate – I’m so sorry, it must be very hard because we are often surrounded by all kinds of scents.

Rejoicenandbe, EmptyS, RobinF, cat2, kj2008 – Thanks so much for chiming in.

August 3, 2023 at 1:17 pm

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Inge, how lovely to be thought of!

August 3, 2023 at 1:50 pm

jacquez

Active Member

I like scent, but as my spouse is sensitive to it I’ve had to do a lot of research over the years to find out what’s ok and what isn’t.

Most florals, esp. inexpensive artificial floral notes, as well as powdery scents, are an absolute no-go — floral essential oils are ok. Herbal scents are usually fine. Citrus is always fine. As you might guess from this, laundry, soap, cleaning products, etc. are citrus, herbal, or unscented in our house.

In terms of perfumes, in addition to floral and powder issues, tonka bean is almost always bad news, as are almost all musk scents. I have a lot of scents from CB I Hate Perfume that I layer, and I like to buy imps from Surrender to Chance to try things I think will work (or, sometimes, just to try….I have an imp of vintage Jicky, for example). But my favorite fragrances almost all come from Etat Libre d’Orange, which has some unusual options. I was given an imp of Secretions Magnifiques by a friend years ago and it’s…let’s call it, NSFW. A third-date kind of scent iykwim.

August 3, 2023 at 2:28 pm

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

I never found a scent I would want to wear, although I do like some basic lavender or lemon smells in my moisturizers and soaps. Interested in the clothing durability article – a tricky issue because some very durable clothes are made with very unsustainable fibers, and also so trendy that no one wants to keep them long term. Thus they end up in the second hand shops at best and more likely in someone’s landfill.

August 3, 2023 at 8:12 pm

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I like scent but only light ones. My husband is quite sensitive to strong scents (migraine trigger), and I don’t like them either. So I’ve avoided any perfumes or colognes for nearly 20 years, and honestly I haven’t really missed them. I’d consider a light scent from time to time but I just haven’t bothered.

August 4, 2023 at 3:52 am

April

Veteran

Ditto, Angie, on Inge’s comment that Kenzo Flower makes me say, “Oh, Angie’s here!”

August 4, 2023 at 6:03 am

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

April, that is remarkable

Does anyone remember when musk oils were popular? In small rollerball glass bottles. About 30 years ago. You'd roll some oil on your wrists and behind your ears, and that was that.

August 4, 2023 at 6:30 am

Carol

(website)

Veteran

Thanks for sharing, Inge! I love the article on sustainable perfume, as the field of sustainability ferrets into deeper and deeper corners of the world to make an impact.

My first thought was–let’s use the perfume we have instead of buying more. How many of us have to throw out half a bottle because we don’t use it promptly?

August 4, 2023 at 6:59 am

Carol

(website)

Veteran

Angie–we sell those rollerballs at my work, by Kuumba Made. They are incredibly popular, though not my taste anymore. Some are musky, but I don’t believe they have actual musk in them.

I prefer things that more approximate perfume–relying on natural ingredients rather than “fragrance.”

August 4, 2023 at 7:04 am

EmptyS

Thank you, Ginger and Rachylou for your explanation of “old lady” scents. It makes perfect sense to me. And I believe I know what “powdery” translates to in terms of scent. Your information was fascinating to me, Ginger.

The reason I expressed concern was because I have been wearing the same scent since my early 20’s (decades ago). I have tried various other perfumes, but I keep coming back to Chanel No. 5. I wondered if it was the “same old, same old” that was problematic. It does not sound like that is the case. It is an evolving thing.

August 5, 2023 at 8:34 am

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