It has been a minute since we last chatted about fragrance. Today, I wanted to share the scents I’ve been reaching for most. I am a total fragrance addict and have probably (at least) fifty perfumes. It is definitely excessive, but fragrance is one of my favorite things. I actually spent the first eight years of my career working in the industry, first in buying and then in marketing.
My current favorite fragrances
I have tried in the past, but I don’t think I will ever be a signature scent person. I like variety too much . . . it’s fun to have options and coordinate my fragrance to my outfit or my mood. If I had to become a signature scent person, I would choose DS & Durga’s I Don’t Know What, simply because it always smells good, layers with other scents, and works for every mood. To me, your fragrance (and your jewelry) are the last steps of your outfit. Heading out on the town? A splash of Annabel’s Birthday Cake. Cozying up in your biggest cashmere sweater? Verdades. Hanging at home with friends? Hanae Mori.
Annabel’s Birthday Cake
This is my most complimented perfume. Anytime I wear it, I get stopped and asked what I’m wearing. It is addictively good. Like cake, but not too sweet. I found out about it from Marisa Meltzer’s Substack and ordered it without ever smelling it. A risky gamble, but a worthwhile one! It is hard to explain as the fragrance is a little bit complicated, but it smells like birthday cake, champagne, and peaches. But then there is cocoa, rose petals, and tonka beans to tone it down and keep it from getting saccharine. I LOVE it and almost want to gatekeep it, but I wouldn’t do that to you!
Hanae Mori Butterfly
This one is an old favorite. In fact, it’s what I wore back in 2004 when I was the assistant buyer of women’s fragrances for a department store . . . my first job! It’s deeply comforting to me. It’s sweet but not too sweet—a vanilla floral blend that is completely intoxicating. As someone who smells so many perfumes, in twenty years, I’ve never smelled anything quite like it.
DS & Durga I Don’t Know What
This is my second-most complimented fragrance. It is nice and light (in fact, the brand markets it as a fragrance enhancer, but I like to wear it on its own). It has notes of bergamot and vetiver and just smells really fresh. It is the perfect easy, everyday fragrance.
U Beauty PROEM
U Beauty’s new fragrance is a really good one. The key notes that I smell are lychee and rose, but it’s more complex than your typical fruity floral! It has the softness of rose, the tartness of lychee, and then smoky vetiver and punchy peppercorn. I like this more and more every time I wear it, and the bottle is also stunning. Also: if you’re new to UBEAUTY you can use code GRACEATWOOD for 20% off!
Maison D’Etto Verdades
This one is heavy on rotation right now, while it’s still a little colder, as I’ll likely put it away once the weather gets warmer. It’s definitely more of a big and cozy winter fragrance than some of the others . . . I just happen to really like it, so I wear it anyway. It has white floral and orange blossom notes, but it’s a really cozy, warm fragrance thanks to vanilla bean and patchouli. It smells like a big, warm hug and your coziest cashmere sweater.
Régime de Fleurs Nitesurf Neroli
I am addicted to this scent. If they made a home fragrance, I’d spray it all over my home, too. (Actually, on that note, Homecourt Neroli Leaf is kind of the home fragrance version, IMO!). If you love Neroli, this is a must, and it’s perfect for spring. It’s light and fresh, with just a hint of citrus. Neroli is the first thing you smell (and what it dries down to). This is the ideal spring and summer fragrance.
BARRE Volta
This also came recommended via Marissa Meltzer’s newsletter (I highly recommend signing up!) BARRE is an independent perfumery in rural Nova Scotia. . The founder, Bree Hyland, often collaborates with writers and artists. Fragrances are made in small batches and often take 2-3 weeks to ship. Volta intrigued me immediately; it is described as a “dirty bloom.” It has notes of rose sandalwood, patchouli, and musk. It’s perfect if you like woodsier, musky scents but also want to be a little girly. I find it positively intoxicating.
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