What scent are you wearing? You smell so nice!
These are words I bet everyone wants to hear and give one an instant boost of confidence. Smelling nice can feel uplifting. But one has to remember that people have different scent preferences. What you might find smell pleasant might make someone gag, and vice versa. Finding a signature scent that you identify with is a key factor in making someone feel confident.
In 2023, I kinda went wild over perfumes. Suddenly, I was keen on finding my signature scent. I always liked the light and clean scent profile, the out-of-shower-smells-nice kind of scent. With that in mind, I put my nose to work and smelled almost all the perfumes I encountered. It was not an easy task for I made several mistakes along the way, like giving in to the trend and buying a whole bottle just because everyone was talking about it. What a complete waste of money! Especially when the scent ended up giving you migraines towards the end of the day.
HUMBLE PERFUME BEGINNINGS
I never really cared much about perfumes when I was young. I bought colognes that I thought smelled nice and yummy, and that was it. As I grew older, I got tired of having to lug my colognes in my bag, so I could do a quick spray because cologne’s scent doesn’t last the whole day. When I got my first job, I dipped my toes in looking at perfumes. Below are my two favorite and go-to scents of all time.
Clinique Happy is a scent that is fresh and light. It reminds me of summertime, as its top notes are a combination of fruits like Orange, Blood Grapefruit, Indian Mandarin, Bergamot, Apple, and Plum. It still feels a bit feminine as the middle notes are Lily-of-the-Valley, Freesia, Orchid, and Rose. Its base notes are my jam for they are Mimosa, Lily, Magnolia, Musk, and Amber. The whole scent reminds you of spring and youth, which is why this scent has been my favorite (and is still available) after a few decades.
Versace Bright Crystal has a fresh and clean scent with a subtle hint of femininity. Its top notes are Yuzu, Pomegranate, and Ice. The middle notes are peony, lotus, and magnolia which smells like springtime for me. Lastly, the base notes are musk, mahogany, and amber. It is fruity at first spray yet leaves a lingering floral scent. It is a Eau de Toilette, which means it has more alcohol than oils so it doesn’t cling much to the skin and will not last the whole day.
NEW SCENT DISCOVERIES
But as I get older, I’m seeking the Eau de Parfum types, the ones that the scent will last for the whole day and linger. Also, I want to find my signature scent. I have a pretty good idea of what kind of scent I prefer, yet the recommendations are endless. One thing I know, below are some of the fragrances I have tried in 2023.
I liked the Bvlgari Omnia series, despite it being an EDT fragrance. I saw the small perfume set at the airport duty-free which includes Bvlgari Omnia Crystalline, Amethyst, and Rose Goldea Blossom and I immediately bought it. All three scents are decent and within my preferred scent profile, but I must say Omnia Crystalline is my fave among the three. Its top notes are Bamboo and Pear; the middle notes are Lotus, Tea, and Cassia; the base notes are Musk, Guaiac Wood, and Oakmoss. It is straight up a clean scent.
Jo Malone Wild Bluebell is right up my alley of scents. Its top notes are Bellflower, Dew Drop, Green Leaves, and Clove; the middle notes are Persimmon and Peach (which are *chef’s kiss*); and the base notes are Musk and Powdery Notes which somehow smelled too ethanol-ly for me. Jo Malone perfumes are highly recommended yet they are so expensive for a Eu de Toilette type. When I saw sample-sized ones at the outlet store, I picked the scent I liked and bought it. This scent is quite similar to Clinique Happy, fresh and light. Unfortunately, the scent doesn’t last long on me.
Diptyque Eu Rose is that girl scent that doesn’t make you smell like an auntie. The top notes are Litchi, Black Currant, and Bergamot; the middle notes are Rose, Geranium, and Jasmine; the base notes are Musk, Virginia Cedar, and White Honey. This perfume was originally my sister’s and I begged her to give me. It was in her toiletry bag from the business trip she had overseas. I used it several times until I asked her to give it to me instead. It has a powerful rose scent that dries down on my skin nicely. It also lasts the whole day on my skin. It’s almost empty and I am saving up for a whole bottle.
Narciso Rodriguez for Her is the wild card scent for me among all that I mentioned here. This fragrance was highly recommended online. I sprayed the tester on my arm, and the first whiff was not what I expected. It was musky and powdery (and I didn’t like the musky scent) yet after a few hours, there’s this faint flowery scent that lingers. It was so delicious! It stayed on my clothes for a few days. I found a sample bottle in Sephora Germany and instantly bought it. It is one of the perfumes that are waiting on my cart to be checked out.
Miss Dior Roses N Roses is one of those highly recommended perfumes that I bought a full bottle of. I smelled this perfume several times in the airport duty-free and at Douglas. The top notes are Geranium, Bergamot, and Italian Mandarin; the middle notes are Grasse Rose and Damask Rose; the base note is White Musk. It smelled like roses, yet It kinda made me feel old. The scent lingers so it is kinda weird for me because I felt like in my grandma era.
Aerin Lauder Ikat Jasmin is also one of those expensive perfumes that I had the luck of finding a sample-sized bottle of in the outlet store. It has Jasmine, Honeysuckle, Tuberose, Ambroxan, and Sandalwood. The scent profile is floral yet complex. It lasts for hours on me but I am still on the fence. It reminded me of Sampaguita, a local white flower in the Philippines which is associated with flowers you bring and offer to the saint statues in church.
I also got a sample of Aerin perfume at the same outlet store years ago and it was the most heavenly scent I have ever smelled. It smelled like an Angel’s breath yet so subtle and intoxicatingly clean. Unfortunately, I forgot the name and threw the bottle out. Now, every time I see Aerin, my nose goes through all their scents, hoping to get a whiff of that heavenly scent again.
Carolina Herrera Good Girl has not been a good girl for me. This perfume has been almost everyone’s favorite here in Europe and the packaging is super adorable. I smelled it in the store and it was nice so I bought a bottle. Yet once I sprayed it on me, yes I smelled nice, but after a few minutes, the scent brought headaches. Its top notes are Almond, Coffee, Bergamot, and Lemon; the middle notes are Tuberose, Jasmine Sambac, Orange Blossom, Orris, and Bulgarian Rose; the base notes are Tonka Bean, Cacao, Vanilla, Praline, Sandalwood, Musk, Amber, Cashmere Wood, Cinnamon, Patchouli and Cedar. With that many scent combinations, no wonder it’ll make you go on sensory overload. It feels like the notes are all competing for a spot on your olfactory senses that your nose ends up being bogged down. I tried it several times, but the same thing, headaches. I felt it was such a waste of money.
PERFUME WISHLIST
When I was hyper-fixated on finding a fragrance profile that I liked, I researched the perfume brands that are available here in the Netherlands. Perfume Brands are available on Douglas, ICIXL, and De Bijenkorf. I did a lot of research on which perfumes are on the same scent note of my preferred ones then whenever I see the stores, I take a whiff of the perfume recommendations to see if my nose likes it. I tried to be hyper-critical of all the perfume recommendations on Social Media and gravitated towards the lesser-known yet niche perfume brands. Read below for some of the perfumes that are on my wishlist.
I chanced upon Georgio Armani My Way when I was doing my research at the Bijenkorf. The top notes are Orange Blossom and Bergamot; the middle notes are Tuberose and Indian Jasmine; and the base notes are Madagascar Vanilla, White Musk, and Virginian Cedar. It smelled strong yet subtle and nice. I sprayed it on my clothes and up until the next day the scent still lingers. I am not into strong scents yet this perfume has that hold on me. It reminded me of that classic expensive strong scent but when it dries down, it leaves you feeling some oomph! It is also one of the perfumes that is waiting in my cart to be checked out. I am still seeking a sample-sized bottle for this because I want to test it a few times more on me if I really like that unique scent.
Le Labo Another 13 is the scent I liked in the Le Labo fragrance line. It is not as famous as the Santal 33 scent but this is the scent profile I gravitate towards more. The top notes are Pear, Apple, and Citruses; the middle notes are Ambrette (Musk Mallow), Amyl Salicylate, Moss, and Jasmine; and the base notes are Iso E Super, Cetalox, Ambrettolide, and Helvetolide. This scent is one of those scents I bought the paper I sprayed on home, and the scent stayed on the paper sample for weeks. The scent was a bit weaker after a week, but you can definitely smell it still. I am glued to their site, waiting for the discovery set to be available, so I can buy a sample size and see how it fares me.
Tom Ford Neroli Portofino is a perfume I am looking for a sample of because the price of this is just expensive. For any perfume I like that is above €100 a full bottle, I better get a sample size first and use it several times before I even commit my euros for a bottle. This scent is one of those scents I bought the paper I sprayed on home, and the scent stayed on the paper sample for weeks. The top notes are Bergamot, Mandarin Orange, Lemon, Bitter Orange, Lavender, Rosemary, and Myrtle; the middle notes are African Orange Flower, Neroli, Jasmine, and Pitosporum; and the base notes are Amber, Angelica, and Ambrette (Musk Mallow). It reminds me of basking in the sea during summer, an upliftingly clean and fresh scent.
Maison Margiela Replica’s perfumes carry simple scents that speak volumes. Each name in the fragrance lines unlocks a memory that will transport you with the scent. My favorites so far are Maison Margiela Replica Spring in the Park and Lazy Sunday Morning. Other scents in the line unlock some memories every time I smell it. I had the most excitement in the Maison Margiela Perfume shelf, smelling every perfume. Often I have a hard time in de Bijenkorf because a lot of people are also there, trying out the perfumes. Maison Margiela is gaining waves and popularity here, so I ordered the Replica set so I can try it out and see if it’ll go well on me and if the scent stays for long hours.
Byredo is one of those perfume brands that are still a bit niche, yet slowly creeping through the mainstream. Byredo Bibliotheque is the scent I liked among the many in their fragrance line. I am still undecided because the other scents are also okay last time I did my research on de Bijenkorf Amsterdam. Every time I go and try to check their scents, Bibliotheque is still the scent I gravitate toward to always. The top notes are Plum and Peach; the middle notes are Violet and Peony; and the base notes are Leather, Patchouli, Vanilla, and Musk. I have ordered their discovery set to see if Bibliotheque will jive with me or if other scents will surprise me.
UNLOCK CONFIDENCE
Perfumes or scents are just one of the many things that can help give you a boost of confidence. It is a pick-me-up and a good way to start your day confidently before you strut yourself outside the real world. With the same context, I am here to remind you that each and everyone has different tastes in terms of scent profile. What you find pungent might make someone feel like a millionaire, and vice versa. It is best to take every suggestion and opinion (like mine above) with a critical eye and do your own research. Learn from me, not to buy full bottles yet and go for perfume brands that offer sample sizes and discovery sets.
What is your signature perfume that makes you smell like a million bucks?
Let’s swap some recommendations, I am happy to smell and try your favorite scents!
Disclaimer:
All photos were screenshots from the Fragrantica site, including the top, middle, and base note details of each perfume. Other than that, everything in this post was written by myself and based on my own opinions and experiences.
