What's Your Scent?

From casual collecting to conscious choosing, scent evolves into a form of self-styling—shaped by memory, mood, and the quiet desire to be understood without saying a word.

Image via IG @lojsanwallin. A soft moment that reflects the quiet sensuality and tactile rituals of scent and self. © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.

In my teenage years, I was a perfume accumulator. Whenever my parents went on a trip or I had the opportunity to, I would ask for a new bottle chosen most of the time by its look. I had no idea which notes were in, all I cared about was the packaging look. Pink bottle, cute design, you know the vibe. 

I believed in the myth that fragrances never expire so there was no problem to have many. How wrong I was. Yes, they do expire. And when they do, they get that horrible old stuff smell. You have to feel it to know, but if you ever did, I am sure it lives rent free on the back of your mind, and nose. Of course, how you take care of it makes all the difference: organizing them in fresh, dry, and dark places helps prolong their shelf life. They hate to see a cozy bathroom coming. Besides that, keeping them in their original packaging and avoiding opening them before you plan on starting to use them are also good practices.

Now, at 26 years old, I want to have my signature scent. One that matches my personality and makes all my friends and family think of me when they feel it. As someone trying to be less materialistic and more conscious about my choices, my ultimate scent collection would be based on: one for daily use, one for sleeping, one for the night, and maybe a fourth one to use at home only.

But, how to find a signature scent?

To figure that out, I had to learn a bit more about perfumery. I discovered what olfactory families are and which ones dominate the market. Floral is self-explanatory. Oriental, or Amber, is warm and spicy. Woody, also self-explanatory, evokes earthy scents. Chypre blends Woody and Floral notes, while Gourmand is sweet, the one for vanilla lovers. Last but not least, there's Fresh, like lemon and other bright, vibrant notes.

There is much more to know about this universe, of course. Which elements are part of which family and longevity, some are divided by genre which can be kind of nonsense, and there is also sillage, based on how further you are able to feel it. There are choices for spring, summer, winter and autumn based on different reasons. 

You can never trust a first spray because the smell you get when you first apply a perfume is not the smell you’ll end up with. That’s why we have top notes, middle (or heart) notes, and base notes. The top notes are what you smell in the first few minutes, usually lighter and more volatile. The heart notes emerge after that, forming the core of the fragrance. And then, after a while, the base notes settle in and stay. Analyzing how you feel at each stage can tell you a lot about whether that perfume is really “you.”

Yes, it's a lot, but you definitely do not need to know all of this to choose your very own fragrance family. You can start deciding which occasion you are selecting your aroma for. Where are you wearing it? Day and/or night? Do you want something more versatile or striking? Do you want it to be noticed or to stay close to your skin? 

After that, you have to think about what pleases you in your own skin, especially considering how each nose and skin reacts differently with each scent. For example, I hate strong fragrances on me, but I like them on others. A good way to analyze this is by going over your own record: what have you owned so far, and what did you like the most?

Knowing what you enjoy will help you with the next question: how long do you want it to last? How far do you want people to be able to feel it? These things matter because a bold scent with massive projection might feel great at first, but it can be overwhelming if it doesn’t match your mood or setting.

Take your time. Finding a perfume that suits you is a very complicated job, because one bottle  has thousands of different effects depending on who’s wearing it. My favorite way to explore is by taking trips to department or beauty stores, spraying something that I like, and seeing how it feels throughout the day.

Believe it or not, the seasons can also affect our taste. Sometimes a perfume that feels right in the winter becomes too cloying in the summer. Or the opposite: something that was bright and fresh in the spring feels bland on a rainy morning. It’s not just about temperature, it’s about mood, energy, our surroundings and even skin chemistry. Your scent preferences are allowed to change, and they probably will.

So ask yourself: what do I want to feel when I wear this? Sensual? Clean? Mysterious? Cozy? Quirky? Do I want to stand out or blend in? A perfume is like a mood board in a bottle and you’re allowed to curate how you want to feel.

You can even keep a small scent journal. Just a few lines: what I tried, when, where I wore it, how it evolved. You’d be surprised how much this helps, especially when some scents only “click” after a few experiences. I am addicted to Fragrantica, the Wikipedia for perfume lovers. You can search for specific scents, read reviews, explore olfactive families, and even find dupes. Perfume today it’s way more democratic and you can smell like Loewe or Chanel, for example, without breaking the bank. There is always a dupe, girl. 

When you learn what olfactive families speak to you, choosing becomes easier. It’s less about the brand and more about the story you want to tell with your presence.

So it comes down to no rush. Know yourself, smell slowly, live with the scent, sleep on it and take your time figuring it out, it's quite fun to be honest. You’ll know when you’ve found the one. Or, in my case, the fantastic four.