Find your signature scent

One writer reveals her scent journey to help you choose your own new pulse-point partner.

Choose your own new pulse-point partner

i’ve wanted a signature scent since I was old enough to convince my mom to buy me glitter-filled perfumes from Claire’s. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve graduated to more sophisticated, less sparkly fragrances, but I still love the idea of being immediately identifiable by an amazing smell. After the perfume that I’d been wearing since university was tragically discontinued, it took a while to find a replacement. I gravitate toward clean, floral scents, so I scoured the beauty shelves, going through bottles and bottles, but I still didn’t like anything enough to actually purchase a second bottle. It wasn’t until I unwrapped a bottle of Diptyque Do Son that I found my new go-to – it’s sweet in a sophisticated way, and it’s what I imagine it smells like to sit inside a lavish flower shop.

So it was with reluctance that, for this story, I swapped my Do Son for something totally di erent. I settled on the heavy, earthy and slightly tangy Gucci Guilty Absolute Pour Femme. Sure, they share notes of blackberry, but otherwise these two are polar opposites. I agreed to give it a week. On the first day, I picked up the sleek Guilty bottle and sprayed it on my wrists while looking longingly at my trusty Do Son. As I went through the motions of my day, I kept being surprised by my own musky smell. I constantly had to remind myself that those woody notes were coming from me.

Here’s the thing about a signature perfume: when you wear yours enough, it becomes almost a part of you, and you don’t really notice it anymore. So I was hyper-aware of this new eau d’alanna, and it became kind of exciting. Sporting a new scent was like trying out a new persona. Maybe I was sexy and mysterious. Maybe this new me should also opt for a smoky eye, wear dresses with high slits and get a sideswept fringe. OK, I didn’t get that crazy – the most I did was grill a coworker about her fringe – but it was fun to think about.

At the end of the week, I went back to my Do Son. Familiar as it might be, there’s a reason it’s my signature scent: I absolutely love it. That said, Gucci Guilty has earned a spot on my vanity, to be taken out on special occasions. Because you never know when you might need a bit of help summoning your sexy self.

“SPORTING A NEW SCENT WAS LIKE TRYING OUT A NEW PERSONA: MAYBE I WAS SEXY AND MYSTERIOUS.”