A Rose By Any Other Name Would Smell as Sweet
It is often said that one rite of passage for women is finding a signature perfume. My interest in perfume started when I was in middle school. I had rollerballs of Taylor Swift’s Enchanted and Incredible Things (she’s one of my all-time favorite singers), as well as a small bottle of Jessica Simpson Signature (the bottle is what first caught my attention, but I also liked the smell of it, too). Those three perfumes lasted me throughout middle school and the beginning of my high school years. I also had tried different samples here and there, bookmarking Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream for future reference. However, it wasn’t until I visited Paris in May 2018 that I found what I now consider to be my “signature perfume.”
When I was in Paris, I visited a high-end perfumery called Fragonard Parfumeur. It has a free museum—the Musée du Parfum—that showcases the history of perfume and how it’s made. At the end of the tour, the group I was traveling with was, of course, led to a gift shop. There, I purchased my first luxury perfume, which I now consider to be my signature scent: Belle Chérie. A 30ml bottle, I still have a third left. Whenever I wear it, I think of Paris. At first, I only wore it for special occasions and fancy events, but I quickly realized that wearing my fancy perfume can make any ordinary day feel special. I wore Belle Chérie pretty exclusively in high school, but I did pick up a couple homecraft oil blends from a local store in my hometown. I use them from time to time when I want something different.
I love how a perfume can set the tone for the day or make you feel better about yourself. These months when I’ve been stuck at home due to COVID-19, putting on my perfume in the morning helps me feel put together and ready for the day. It’s a small luxury that I love.
(Men, never underestimate the power of a good cologne. And I do not mean spraying Axe all over your body and calling it a day. Find something that you think encompasses who you are. Trust me, you won’t regret it.)
My roommate Arianna and I bonded over perfume last semester. An odd thing to talk about, yes, but it was fun to be able to have conversations on the niche topic. She gave me the recommendation for the brand Juliette has a gun. We were going to split a discovery kit, but it wasn’t in stock before we left campus for the holidays. However, I ordered it and gifted it to myself for Christmas.
This discovery kit was perfect for me. It allowed me (and my mom) to try twelve different perfumes without breaking the bank or buying a full bottle of perfume that we didn’t like. While I have my signature perfume, I don’t like to use the same scent over and over again. Often if I buy a bottle or rollerball of perfume, I won’t buy it again after I’ve used it all. There are so many lovely perfumes out there, and I love to be constantly mixing it up. Because of this, I know I will be searching for sample kits after I finish up the one I have.
Perfume Sample Kit Recommendations
For the Luxurious. Juliette has a gun. The number of scents, the sample sizes, and the scents listed may differ from the set I ordered in December of 2020, but the price is still the same: $25, which can then be used as a voucher if you wish to buy a full bottle. [link]
For the Imaginative. Imaginary Authors. Create your own “short story collection” by selecting 8 perfumes; intriguing descriptions and artwork are shown with every perfume. Each perfume vial is 2ml, and the kit you create is $38. [link]
For the Natural. Skylar. This brand is all about clean and cruelty-free ingredients. If you like fresh, fruity, and floral scents, this is the sample palette for you. There are 6 vials, 1.5ml each, and 3 scented peel-back cards. This kit is $29. (Or, you might be able to get a small free kit if you sign up with your email.) [link]
You can also find perfume kits at Sephora, Ulta, Nordstrom, Macy’s, and other department stores.
Aside from perfume sample kits, there are also perfume subscriptions you can subscribe to. Scentbox and Scentbird are both companies that allow their customers to order an 8ml bottle of a perfume of their choice every month. For a comprehensive breakdown between the two, you can see a side-by-side comparison here. I personally am in favor of Scentbox, because it has more fragrance selections and overall seemed to have better customer service reviews.
It’s Wednesday—keep the world smelling good.