Signing With A Scent

Ladies its Saturday night you’re at drinks with the girls, your friend arrives, she walks past tables and up to the bar to meet you and she’s turning heads. As she hugs you in greeting you now know why... She looks gorgeous but she smells divine and the whole establishment is left in awe as she’s left a beautiful lingering scent in their wake. 

Perhaps she’s genetically blessed in the looks department and that’s why all eyes are on her and you know it probably helps but what about that gorgeous scent... I’m not saying some people naturally smell nicer than others, we all use soap and deodorant people (and some people really should if they don’t)! I’m talking about the smell when someone walks in or out of a room and their fragrance lingers in the air and it’s almost intoxicating! This is the power of the signature scent.

This doesn’t just apply to ladies I’ve walked past guys and thought, ‘Oh my gosh, if it wasn’t creepy I’d follow you around the shopping  centre’.   There are a few male fragrances that may make me rethink my sanity.  Though not my absolute favourite, Dunhill Desire (Red) makes me think of snuggling with a hot man on the couch in front of a wood fire.  Dunhill would make a great signature scent for some lucky guy who may or may not end up cuddling up with a special lady in front of a wood fire.  Smell is a powerful thing guys, do not underestimate it! Certain scents can evoke both memories and imagination (take that as you will).  Also the bottle is really cool and looks like a hip flask!

Now back to your friend, after you’ve hugged and exchanged pleasantries you’ve asked her what on earth that delectable fragrance is (though you probably didn’t ask her like that).  She’s reluctantly told you that it’s Hypnotic Poison by Christian Dior and the next day you’re at the perfume counter, paid $100+ for it (depending on the size), gotten it home, spritzed it all over and shock horror it smells absolutely vile.   How could this happen? Men were swooning and women were envious over this beautiful vanilla fragrance wafting around the bar and it smells like spoilt milk on you!

Why you ask? Did she sabotage you? Does she have magical sweet smelling skin? What is she doing differently?  Why aren’t men dropping at your feet and women death glaring yet?  It’s simple and no she’s not taking her revenge for you stealing her fragrance, it just doesn’t suit your body chemistry.

The way a fragrance chemically reacts to your body can depend on a number of factors.  Age is one, as we age throughout our lives our tastes will change but so do our hormones.  When I was working in perfume I would have to find new signature scents for people as they’ve matured or they’ve had children and their favourite fragrances “don’t smell the same” or they can’t tolerate them anymore.  It all has to do with hormones, lucky...not!

Diet and medication can often change the way a fragrance smells and/or how we perceive smell.  If you’ve had a curry the night before and you’re applying fragrance to pulse points your fragrance will definitely smell interesting... Also the oiliness of your skin can either hold a fragrance well or it may dissipate faster. 

Knowing all this doesn’t exactly help you now that you’ve purchased that $100 bottle of fragrance. However, don’t despair; there is a way around this.  If it’s your body chemistry that’s affecting the way your fragrance smells perhaps you should not apply your fragrance to your body.  Perhaps you could spritz it on your hair or your clothes.  You’re guaranteed to get bottle smell and if you have long hair you may as well take advantage of it.  So when you walk into that bar, your hair is flowing behind you and the breeze catches heads will turn ;)  

Aimz ox

DISCLAIMER: Please note that if you’re allergic to a fragrance, applying it to your hair and/or clothes will not rid you of allergy or irritation and to be honest it’s not worth trying it nor do I recommend you trying this as you will still have the reaction.