makeupandwine

Smells, odors, fragrances, whatever you want to call it, will affect you.  What you smell can make you happy, hungry, sad, nauseous, and more.  During the colder weather months we are in warm rooms, windows shut, heat going.  Many of us, I know I do,  typically go for the warmer, spicier scents.  One thing to keep in mind is how you’re affecting the people around  you.  Please keep in mind that many people have adverse reactions to the ingredients in fragrances, giving them headaches and worse.  Also note that what you find lovely, some folks may not.

This said, I want to share how happy many of the warmer scents make me feel.  I was    wearing a cashmere scarf the other evening when I sprayed my new bff in scent – Tom Ford’s Black Orchid Eau de Parfum on my neck.  Because the scarf is cashmere the scent stays in the fabric and now every time I put this scarf on (which is at least once a day), I feel  happy.

The problem is; this is not a scent I can wear to the office.  This is a scent for an evening with my husband.  This scent evokes romantic fires, candles and deep velvet fabric.  Not computers, florescent lights and conference calls.  But when I put my scarf on in the morning, I can remember that night we had an excellent dinner out or I can anticipate the evening ahead.  Philosophy’s Inner Grace was my go-to fragrance for work in the colder months.  Unfortunately Philosophy discontinued this scent.  I am now using Amazing Grace all year.  I was using Amazing Grace in the warmer months but now it is year round.  I’ve noticed this is one fragrance that does not cause adverse affects in sensitive individuals.

So how does a person find their happy scent?  How do you know what to wear to work, what to wear to a party or just to spend the evening with your special someone?  Lots of samples!  Yes, you need to gather samples.  It is helpful to spritz in the shops but you really need to wear the fragrance in different surroundings, temperatures and when you are in different situations.  A perfume or cologne will react differently to your body chemistry if you’re stressed or relaxed.  Personally, I really find all of those little vials of perfume samples very annoying, but they can be useful if you’re searching for your special fragrance.  Of course it can be difficult to get a sample of that particular fragrance you’re wanting, especially if it is new on the market.  Sephora shops will make you a sample of anything in their shop.  They are very kind about it and that is one of my key places to go when I’m on the hunt.  Another one of my favorite places is Scentbird.  They have a subscription service that is $14.95 a month.  You get a 8ml purse spray filled with the perfume of your choice. It’s about the size of a rollerball, this is enough perfume to apply twice daily for 30 days.  You get a luxury case that you can put the monthly purse spray into.  You select which scent you want to try and the selection is fairly large and good.  I really like this subscription because it allows me to try out different fragrances that  I have been interested in and didn’t want to make an investment into the full size.  Scentbird is actually where I found the Tom Ford Black Orchid.

Rollerballs are also a good way to try a fragrance without spending too much but having enough of the product to give it a really good try.  And, easier to store if you decide you’re not as fond of the scent after you made your purchase.  If you’re like me, you have a drawer of bottles of perfume, cologne, etc that you thought you loved but after a few weeks…well….perhaps not so much.  I recently purchased the Bobbi Brown Rollerball in the “Beach” Fragrance because I do enjoy wearing it in the summer, but it just does not work for me in the winter.  This particular scent is usually sold out once April hits the calendar.  I got it when Sephora had it back in stock.  This particular fragrance reminds me of days gone by – back when I was young, very young, walking on the Santa Cruz Boardwalk.  Nothing much better than that!  Scents should evoke fond memories, happy times, pleasant memories.  You should get a benefit from your fragrance, feel empowered, happy, joyful.

The best way to get the most mileage out of your fragrance is to layer it.  If you know you’re going to be in close confinement with someone who may be sensitive to scent, just using a body lotion and not the cologne is a good way to go.  Additionally, if you’re road testing a fragrance which you think you like but not really sure, invest in the body lotion first.  This will give  you a good sense of whether or not you will want to get the cologne.  The body lotion is usually not quite as expensive.

Listed below are a some of my favorite warm spicy fragrances:

• Tom Ford – Black Orchid
• Chanel – Coco Chanel
• Gucci – Gucci Guilty
• Givenchy – Organza Indecence

What fragrance are you wearing this winter?