developing my nose & my style
It sounds strange to think about developing a nose, but I learned from a young age, that I had an acute awareness of smell and as I cultivated it, it developed into many things from wine to food and candles, but also to perfumes.
My nose is by no means comparable to that of perfumers, but what I learned is that the usual smells that got everyone excited held nothing for me.
Then I went on a search for “my scent”. I didn’t want to be able to buy it in large shops or that could be bought by everyone, but I also wanted to learn about the story behind it, the process and how I could express myself through scent.
Have you ever thought about why you have chosen your signature scent? Have you ever thought about what goes into making a fragrance?
I went down this rabbit hole and it also meant learning how to treat and respect fragrances, not to bruise them by smacking my wrists together. I took it so seriously and learned a new vocabulary of top notes and chords, what I liked, and how the scent developed. At the time I couldn’t find a book, so I asked as many people who were prepared to share.
Fragrances are so much more than just a spritz in a bottle on the skin.
Each of the fragrances has carried me through different phases in my life and I rarely go back to a fragrance from earlier because it is so personal. Each is attached with memories and stories, some that I want to keep and others that I want to forget.
My first stop was L’Artisan Parfumeur, which introduced me to the Art of Layering to create my own scent. I spent hours in Liberty of London poring over scents and what could be me. Notes of wood and musk combined with amber are my happy place.
Then I had an extended Acqua di Parma - Bergamotto di Calabria phase, even as I write about it, I have a smile on my face and remember some of the moments shared with that particular scent. Having a picnic in Hyde Park as part of my birthday celebrations drinking a demi-Bouteille of Ruinart Rose.
Memo French Leather was an unexpected find and I fell in love with it immediately. Then I went to learn more about the brand, but the defining moment for the end of our relationship was seeing the stand at Heathrow Airport and then it felt too accessible.
I have stayed true to Carner Barcelona for the past 4 years, the scent I chose for our wedding in Tuscany was Bobo. It is my son’s nickname and it is my perfect summer scent and in winter I wear Cuirs and for now, I am not on the lookout for anything else because I am attached.
If you would like some help picking a fragrance, then feel free to book a consult with me:
