All about your signature

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We all know that lady. The one who is perpetually wrapped in a fine, barely-there-yet-powerful cloud of scent. Who presence is announced by her unique perfume. Who immediately pops up in the eye of our mind whenever we catch a whiff of that perfume. The one whose perfume is part and parcel of her, like an extension of her aura. Times are changing and there are too many perfumes to chose from; however, one needs a rock in this mad, mad world – why not have a signature scent? More importantly, how to find in in the first place?

Know your type

Each perfume has their own character, a profile that is designed to catch the buyer’s attention. When a new scent is launch we often read how it was created with a “sensual”, or a “seductive”, or a “girl-next-door” in mind. In the case of the male audience we think  of “sporty”, “adventurous”, “powerful” – think of Hugo Boss’ “man of today”, for example. It is inevitable that scents conjure up images of their potential wearers and it’s a jackpot for both the customer and the company if that image coincides with the campaign. It is not pure chance that being carefree and optimistic, we love Marc Jacob’s Daisy; or being a physically active, jeans-and-a-t-shirt kinda girl, we find our true love in D&G’s Light Blue. I have witnessed this phenomenon time and time again – your character determines what kinda fume you dig, and ideally there should be instant sympathy. If not, consider moving on. There’s plenty to sniff…

However – if the perfume does not impress at first, but keeps haunting you for some reason, chances are something in your subconscious clicked and you should keep testing it out. Or come back to it a few weeks later – after letting it settle a bit, there might be a lovely surprise in store for you, and you feel like you have run across an old friend.

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Signature does not equal monogamy

A signature scent, or a sig in short, is such a French concept. French women are famous for being faithful to their one and only perfume throughout their lives. On the other hand, French women are also famous for having lovers! Same goes for perfume: you can be “married” to one, but still “go out” with others. Does not mean you have to stick to the same fume for the rest of your life, God forbid! It would not be possible for two main reasons: a) changing weather and b) changes in body chemistry. Summer and winter perfumes are not a mere marketing trick to make you buy more perfume, it totally makes sense to have heavier, thicker perfumes for colder seasons and lighter ones for spring and summer. Heady gourmands and orientals can literally make you sick on a hot summer day. Ever tried wearing Angel in 35C? Then you know what I mean.

Perfumes should be regularly rotated or perfume-free days implemented simply because our nose gets used to the same perfume (develops anosmia, scientifically speaking)  and in order to be able to continue smelling yourself, doses need to be increased over time. Before you know it, you have gassed everyone out of the room! Another point, specifically for ladies:  the way we perceive the perfume may greatly depend on hormonal changes, be it during our monthly cycle or menopause. (That’s why I’m hoping to be able to wear Shalimar one day! All is not lost yet!!!)

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Until death do us part?

As mentioned before, it’s that myth that signature scent should be warn literally till death. Some people do, of course. I find that we are divided into two categories here: people who wear and the same fragrance(s) over and over and would not imagine their lives without them. They run to their local perfume store as soon the last drop is gone, or even before that, and they have 5+ identical bottles at the bottom of their drawer. A friend, for example, has worn Calvin Klein’s Eternity for the past 20 years. The other category consists of those fickle people who need a lot of excitement in their lives, always on the hunt for something new and exciting. I fall in the latter category and funnily enough, I’ve been on the hunt for my signature for a long time now! It is such an elusive concept in the end, and so very personal. Take a moment to think what kind of consumer/perfume YOU are: will you be ok using the same perfume for years to come? Or will you prefer butterflying around, no strings attached?

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Times change, tastes change

It is a fact that as years go buy, our perfume preferences change. There’s no reason to hold on to a “signature” just because. You can just grow out of stuff. Perfume is like wine: the older we get, the dryer we like it. Young women and teenagers tend to love tooth-achingly sweet or fresh scents and once again, it ain’t no coincidence that celebrities whip out the same kind of fumes over and over again. Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson, Katy Perry… They are kind of… similar, don’t you think? Wonderstruck might as well be a young lady’s signature scent until she realises there are other, better things out there with more depth to match her developing character. She will move on to La Nuit Tresor, for example, charmed by its deeper incense and wood notes, and from there – who knows. What I’m trying to say is, finding a signature scent is a long cycle of trial and error where “moving on” is not a sin.

It is nice indeed if the same perfume stays with us for many years to come, and it is equally nice to find another. A relationship with  perfume is like any other relationship in our lives – some stay and some go. It is important to be happy with what you have here and now. Perfume is pure emotion; may that guide you in finding as well as keeping you signature.

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This article was first published in Estonian in October 2017 and still available here .

Disclaimer: image 1 by me. Image 2 Fragrantica. Image 3 Youtube. Image 4 Real Style Network. Image 5 Monsieur Guerlain.

 

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