The Working Closet
with Susan Wagner
The Working Closet is your source for the best of what's hip and fresh in fashion and beauty. Susan Wagner keeps you up-to-date on trends and offers tips and tricks for making everything in your closet truly work for you.
You can also catch Susan over at Working Closet.
|
Just for today, let’s all forget the name of this blog because I want to talk beauty products. Specifically, fragrances. (Don’t tell Nataly, but makeup and/or all things beauty is my true passion.)
After several years of not wearing a fragrance, I have decided to venture out into the wild to try to find my “signature scent”. Ladies, this is not an easy task, as my poor, overused nostrils can attest. Although I haven’t found the perfect scent yet, I am not giving up anytime soon.
Looking at Sephora’s website this week, I noticed a fantastic section entitled the Cult Favorites page. This section is filled with products that have loyal, blockbuster fan bases. Mixed in with makeup, hair and skin treatments were 10 fragrances that apparently have quite a cult-like following.
. 
Looking through the list, I was surprised to see that I have worn three of these fragrances in the past. That’s when Sephora’s Fragrance Finder Tool comes in very handy. Just enter your favorite fragrance and they will give you suggestions for others with similar characteristics.
What about you? Do you have a signature scent? Please do share! (And yes, this is completely self-serving in an attempt to find my own.)
Subscribe to blog via RSS
I love Lolita Lempicka (also, it’s fun to say).
Rhi | December 12th, 2008 at 9:11 am
I have a few perfumes and I guess there is no one signature perfume, but these two are my favorites for when I feel like a million dollars, or for a really special occasion. If I could have just two perfumes and nothing else I would stick with these:
Narcisco Rodriguez ( I have a Pretty in Pink Eau de Perfume)
Gucci II Eau de Perfume
Maria | December 12th, 2008 at 9:32 am
Rhi, you need to ask Slynnro about my experience with Lolita Lempicka. HAAAAA.
Sarah James | December 12th, 2008 at 9:35 am
Hey! Hanae Mori Butterfly is one of my all-time faves! I feel validated. In fact, I am wearing it right now. Also, I am partial to scents that have a vanilla base, but not overly sickly sweet vanilla.
I used to wear both Fracas and Angel, but they are both SO STRONG that I can hardly stand them anymore. Like, whoa.
Rebecca (Bearca) | December 12th, 2008 at 10:06 am
I tend to have an identitiy crisis everytime I hear someone else has the same perfume as me, so this last time I sought out something a little different that I hoped no one I knew would be resourceful enough to discover.
I got it at Anthropologie, but it’s Crabtree & Evelyn. http://store.crabtree-evelyn.com/spi53600.html
It smells exactly like my old favorite, Island by Michael Kors, but a little richer. And the bottle is so much classier than my perfumes of old. You should try it! It’s not overwhelming at all, and I promise I won’t have a personal crisis if you decide to use it.:)
Kaleigha (Kali) | December 12th, 2008 at 10:14 am
Jo Malone’s Lime Basil Mandarin is my absolute favorite. It’s a very light, fresh fragrance that is perfect for work, since it is not overwhelming.
Jessica | December 12th, 2008 at 10:59 am
You know, I’m very intrigued by the Jo Malone fragrances. I just get overwhelmed by the sheer number of them. Lime Basil Mandarin sounds lovely….does anyone else wear any Jo Malone fragrances?
Sarah James | December 12th, 2008 at 11:01 am
I fully expect Jonniker to pop into these comments with an awesome, curated list of excellent choices…but here are some suggestions. (I, too, have worn several of the scents listed above - my fave was Classique, so hopefully my radar isn’t completely off)
Clinique Simply
Marc Jacobs Cucumber Splash (summer only)
Burberry Weekend
Bill Blass “Nude” (don’t laugh - it’s old but it’s divine)
Let us know what you choose!
Jamie | December 12th, 2008 at 11:41 am
I completely forgot - I recently started wearing Prada Infusion d’Iris and it is stunning. Especially for winter. LOVE. IT.
Jamie | December 12th, 2008 at 11:50 am
Ralph Lauren’s Romance,
DKNY Delicious (the green one) and Cashmire Mist,
Body Shop’s Japanese Cherry Blossom,
Estee Lauder Beautiful
Burberry London Women
Kim Yamaguchi | December 12th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
Did you try Angel yet? That’s one of my top 2 favorites. It’s a very long lasting perfume as well. I’m not surprised it’s in their top 10. It’s a bit pricey for me. Of course I almost never buy myself perfume. I let other people buy it for me. Ralph Lauren’s Romance is my other favorite.
I have recently purchased Very Sexy Hot by VS, and I am really digging it. Another one that I love wearing in the summer is Miami Glo by JLo. I kind of hate to admit that I love that one. But it just smells like summer.
Carrisa | December 12th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Knowing your taste, I can’t even imagine a single one of these appealing to you. L’Eau D’Issey is the closest.
I said it before, and I’ll say it again: boutique scents for men, focused on vetiver and/or dry verbena would be more up your alley than anything.
I imagine you with Angel and/or Lolita Lempicka on and you are PUKING. PUKING. OH MY GOD NO NO NO NO NO NO.
(Secret? I wore Hanae Mori on my wedding day. I loved it then, but now it just reeks of cookies. Bleah.)
jonniker | December 12th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Oh and the Lime Basil Mandarin is pretty masculine to me, but I like it. I also like her Grapefruit and Black Vetyver Cafe (you MIGHT like BVC, but I’m not betting on it — it has a meaty odor on some people. Yes, I said meaty.)
The thing with her scents is that with the exception of Red Roses (which I love, whereas you would most definitely not), they don’t last more than 10 minutes unless you coat your body in their creams first, and even then, they fade so fast you’re sort of wasting a lot of effort.
Also, Tom Ford’ Black Orchid is basically THE most overrated fragrance ever. It’s awful. AWFUL.
jonniker | December 12th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
Also? Try L’Eau de L’artisan by L’Artisan. It’s fresh, grassy and light, with a hint of lemon — not at ALL sweet, but very, very fresh. It’s got a hint of mint and basil in there. To me, it’s what I wanted Lime Basil Mandarin to be.
(I have to start keeping a notepad for you on occasion. I think of these things for you, then forget and move on.)
jonniker | December 12th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Thank you, Jonniker! You will be the first to know when I find one.
(And L’Eau D’Issey is one that I’ve worn. Of course, you knew that.)
Sarah James | December 12th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
Angel is definitely my favorite scent because it makes me feel and smell like a rich girl.
kirida | December 12th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
Bulgari Omnia
the new Chloe scent (not the old one, this one is only at Saks)
Salvatore Ferragamo
Marc Jacobs Gardenia
My problem with scent is that it fades quickly (other than the new Chloe.) The sales staff will tell you to layer products (shower gel, lotion, etc.) in the same scent, but those other products never smell the same to me as the EDT or EDP. I did buy a tiny Salvatore Ferragamo in the straight perfume but it still fades quickly.
rb | December 12th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
Oh, and on my husband I love Acqua di Gio by Giorgio Armani. I think it would also work well for a woman who doesn’t like traditional women’s scents.
rb | December 12th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
I LOVE the smell of Shalimar even though I don’t wear it. It reminds me of my mother.
I alternate between (the original) Marc Jacobs scent and philosophy’s Amazing Grace. I get so many compliments when I wear that latter that’s what I usually opt for.
Jennifer | December 12th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
Uhm, I’m all about Marc Jacobs Daisy. But I don’t know if that’s going to be up your alley, judging from the comments.
But you asked for my favorite.
caleal | December 12th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
My favorite is Philosophy’s Amazing Grace, another really popular one at Sephora, it’s light and I get lots of “you smell good”’s
Katy | December 12th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
I wear several fragrances from time to time, but Thierry Mugler’s Angel is probably my “signature”, I also love Calvin Klein Euphoria, Gap om (it’s been discontinued, so i use that one sparingly), needless to say, i like spicy, woodsy or musky scents. Have fun, take a handful of coffee beans with you;)
bethany | December 13th, 2008 at 8:29 am
Ooh, I knew I forgot one, Chanel chance….it’s good too. If you like that sort of scent, that is.
bethany | December 13th, 2008 at 8:31 am
STELLA by Stella McCartney…sorry, last one, i swear…maybe
bethany | December 13th, 2008 at 8:44 am
Hi Sarah! Try these two…Light Blue by Dolce and Gabana, and Creed (Fleur De the Rose Bulgare). Your Haiku at Whoorl talked about nostril damage from last week, so I thought I would try to help out :o)
Take care,
Michelle
Michelle | December 15th, 2008 at 11:26 am
I, too, love the idea of perfume, but once I get it on my body, I die all day! I must say I ADORE Jo Malone. The best part about her scents are that they mix together well. My 2 fav’s are French Lime Blossom and Honeysuckle and Jasmine. LOVE.
Miss Virginia | December 15th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
I love very light, fresh fragrances, but since they do no linger long I actually prefer scented body lotions. My absolute favorite is Philosophy’s Grace lotion. It smells delicious and the scent stays fresh all day.
Chris | December 15th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
Signature scents…my favorite topic of all time!
I’m a serial monogamist when it comes to fragrance. Currently I’m wearing Annick Goutal Folavril, but I’ve worn everything from L’air du Temps (which I’m tempted to go back to) to Angel, Jean Patou enJOY, L’eau D’Issey and Bulgari green tea.
It takes time - don’t buy anything until you fall in love with a fragrance. I try one a day and try to live with it.
Miguelina | December 16th, 2008 at 8:42 am
You should try Sephora’s Scent Sampler. Basically, they send you eight perfume samples, but a gift certificate to purchase a large bottle of your favorite once you’ve decided. Also, there are 5 different samplers to choose from, so you have lots of options. You can find them by searching “scent sampler” on sephora.com or by clicking here:
http://sephora.com/search/search_results.jhtml;jsessionid=IZ50ERGN1EXGICV0KQRQ5UQ?command=text&attr1=scent+sampler&attr2=&%2Fcom%2Flvmh%2Fcommerce%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch%2Fiphrase%2Fproxy%2FIPhraseSearchFormHandler.search=search&_D%3A%2Fcom%2Flvmh%2Fcommerce%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch%2Fiphrase%2Fproxy%2FIPhraseSearchFormHandler.search=+&searchString=scent+sampler&_DARGS=%2Fincludes%2FsearchFinder.jhtml&x=0&y=0
Kassi | December 16th, 2008 at 9:39 am
oops, I mean PLUS a certificate, not but.
Kassi | December 16th, 2008 at 9:40 am
Vera WAng by Vera Wang. LOVE LOVE.
ali | December 16th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
I am struggling too. I want something more spicy and almost many than floral. No vanilla/cookie smells either. I used to love Calyx by Prescriptives and once had a guy chase me down the street to find out what is was. For his GIRLFRIEND. But it doesn’t smell the same on me anymore. Ok, that was no help. I find it overwhelming to go into a store and look, after 2 sniffs they all smell the same, coffee beans or not.
jenB | December 16th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
I use Chanel Chance exclusively. It smells great on me and I get a lot of compliments but the reason I wear it exclusively is that it’s the only perfume I can wear where I don’t smell myself all day. I am sensitive to smells, good or bad, and I get sick to my stomach when I walk around all day and can smell my own perfume.
Miranda | December 17th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
I switch between two of the Stella McCartney fragrances: the original Stella and Stella Two (Peony). Both are floral, but not oppressive, and I never meet anyone else wearing the same fragrance (that was not the case when I wore things like Clinique Happy or DK Cashmere Mist, which I’d take out of the running for your new perfume based on the terribly designed bottle alone—it’s always tipping over).
Sparrow | December 17th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
I love Jo Malone’s Verbenas of Provance (fresh and lemony without being too Pledge-like) and Red Roses (very light, clean floral). A lot of scents are too strong for me, but those two make me happy and don’t make my nose itchy. Plus, they both get a big thumbs up from a coworker who is allergic to most perfumes, but somehow not bothered by mine.
Kate | December 22nd, 2008 at 9:29 pm
My favorites (right now) are Philosophy Inner Grace and Origin’s Spring Fever. I like clean or slightly spicy scents. I once heard that Usher’s favorite perfume on women is Spring Fever, so undoubtedly should we meet (in a club, of course), he’ll buy me a drink. Or …something.
Lindsey | December 30th, 2008 at 9:23 pm