Finding a signature scent is both very personal and very telling of who you are or want to be in that moment. Do you have a specific perfume based on the time of year? Or one for work hours and a separate for play hours? A fragrance that you always wear on a date or evening out? Or have you been spraying the same scent for so many years you can’t even tell you’re wearing it anymore? Recently I decided to venture outside my signature fragrance of Hermes Des Merveilles, one I’ve been wearing for a decade now, and test the waters to see if I could find something I loved even half as much.
Perfumes are a tricky beast as they are completely different from person to person based on our own unique body chemistry, and can be the absolute opposite when worn for a day rather than spritzed in the air at the cosmetic counter. That was the case with Jo Malone’s Wild Fig & Cassis. I was obsessed with the scent in store, but it overpowered me so much on I could barley handle it. Which made for a sad day because I adored the woody earthiness and cozy feeling that fragrance embodies. I had been dying to try Aerin’s perfumes (mainly because the stone cap is just too gorgeous) for awhile now so when I received two of the bottles for Christmas I was thrilled. And even better, I love them. The fresh notes from Ikat Jasmine and warm, almost creamy tones of the Amber Musk compliment my body chemistry perfectly. They won’t completely replace my Des Merveilles, I don’t think any perfume ever will, but it’s nice to switch it up every now and again. I’d love to know, what’s your signature scent? Truly, MKR
*Photography, Kathryn McCrary